Brother of My Soul
by Xanthia Morgan
Summary: Following the events of TMR, Ardeth Bey and Rick O'Connell find out they have more in common than anyone could have imagined. COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

First of all, let me say that I LOVED The Mummy and The Mummy Returns! Great flicks and I hope there is a third one at least. Having said that, there was far too little of MY favorite character, Ardeth Bey, in the movie. There were also some holes I felt needed filling in regard to him. Like, what happened after he got slashed by the mummy on the bus? Those were some pretty nasty wounds in my mind but nothing was said. I decided to take the road not traveled and fill in that particular gap. If you haven't seen The Mummy Returns, you probably won't get it. The first scene takes place after the incident on the bus and you should be able to keep up from there. I didn't really go into any details with the movie scenes cause I figure you already saw it.  
Xanthia  
  
DISCLAIMER: "THE MUMMY", "THE MUMMY RETURNS", AND THE CHARACTERS PORTRAYED THEREIN ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF STEPHEN SOMMERS AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT OWN THEM NOR IS ANY MONEY BEING MADE FROM THIS STORY.

Brother of My Soul  
by Xanthia Morgan  
  
Chapter One - Saving Alex

Ardeth Bey leaned heavily against the bathroom sink, watching with dazed fascination at the sight of his own blood swirling down the white porcelain drain. After the attack on the bus and Alex's kidnaping, they'd come back to the O'Connell's home to gather what they might need before heading out again. Jonathan had helped him as far as the guest bath and, grimacing at the blood on Ardeth's clothing, he'd backed away, muttering something about Evy needing his help. Ardeth was actually relieved to him go. He didn't need Jonathan fainting on the floor. He just might need that space himself.  
  
When Carnahan had left, he'd managed to free himself from the slashed robes and got the first good look at the damage in the mirror. Taking in the torn and bleeding flesh, he had to agree with O'Connell on one thing - he hated mummies, too. The stripes on his chest throbbed with fire. He knew from experience that the mummy's razor sharp fingernails had left more than a trail of blood and ripped flesh. Centuries of rot and decay were imbedded deep within the wounds and they needed to be tended with more than just water and disinfectant. "Allah," he prayed silently, "give me the strength to finish this." He needed to hang on until they reached Cairo. Then his people would be able to help him. They could at least see him back on his feet. After that, if he survived, he knew that the wounds would have to be reopened and debrided, then cleansed with healing salves. A decidedly painful process he was certain, although no one had sustained such injuries in centuries and lived.

He hoped O'Connell would be able to charter them a flight to Egypt tonight. The sooner he returned home to prepare his troops, the better. If anyone could prepare for the fight they faced. Their battle with the undead ten years ago almost killed them all. Now they must battle the Creature, the Scorpion King, and Anubis' army, for Bey knew that there was little chance they would reach Alex O'Connell in time. If there was one thing he'd learned in his years as Med-jai it was this: Expect the worst and you may survive. Everyone outside of his tribe thought him grim. Bey did not think of himself as grim. He was, in his mind, realistic. When you dedicate your life to keeping the dead buried you must expect that sooner or later the dead will win. He hoped fervently that this would not be that time.  
  
His thoughts were broken by a commotion in the hallway. "Hey, you about ready to go?" he heard Rick O'Connell say just before the bathroom door flew open. Rick's mouth hung open and he stared at the Med-jai leaning heavily against the vanity, a bloody washcloth in his hand. Four deep gashes stretched across Bey's chest from his shoulder to his just below his ribcage. Three of them still oozed blood and Rick swore that he saw a glint of white bone showing out from at least one of them. "Ardeth, old buddy, tell me those look worse than they are," he said quietly as he slowly walked over to the sink.  
  
Ardeth laughed, a dry rasping sound that was more a hiss of pain that of mirth. His eyes met Rick's in the mirror in front of him. "I was hoping you would tell me."  
  
Rick came up behind his friend and with a gentleness that surprised the hardened warrior, pried the bloody cloth out of his clenched fist. He then helped him to sit on the small sofa in the bath's outer room. "Lean back," he said, trying to help Ardeth recline. "No, don't help. Let me. You'll just open those up again." Ardeth's face was a controlled mask of agony as he tried to relax and lean on Rick's arm. After what seemed like days, he felt the sofa's cool upholstery against his aching back. Rick frowned as the wounds began to bleed freely again. He pressed a folded towel against Bey's chest and put the man's hands on top. "Hold this," he ordered. "I"ll be right back."  
  
Ardeth pressed as hard as he could against the folded towel, vainly clenching his teeth against the cry of pain that threatened to break free. "Allah," he prayed again, "give me strength."  
  
Evelyn O'Connell stood in the bathroom doorway, a look of stunned horror on her face. Ardeth's normally tanned face was pale and his shallow breathing gave testament to the fact that he was suffering. As she watched, his face contorted in an agonized grimace and a low cry of pain escaped his lips. She ran forward and sat next to him.  
  
"My God! Ardeth!" she said with a hitch in her voice.  
  
Ardeth opened his eyes and tried to smile at her. "Evy. It looks worse than it is?" His attempt at humor would have broken her heart if it hadn't already been shattered into bits by her son's kidnaping. She looked into the hall behind her. "Jonathan! Hurry up, for heaven's sake!" She placed a cool hand on his face. "He's bringing some sheets for bandages," she explained. "We'll get you fixed up enough to make it to the hospital and then . . ."  
  
"No." Bey's quiet voice stopped her. "There is no time. We must leave in time to meet the plane."  
  
Evelyn shook her head. "You need a doctor. The cuts. . . Rick says they're bad, Ardeth."  
  
"I know," he said plainly. "However, time is of the essence. I will seek help from my people in Cairo. Until then, I must be ready to travel." He could see the disbelief in her eyes. "Just bind the wounds tightly. We must find your son." The command in his voice could not be ignored. She nodded.  
  
"Let me see." Evy swallowed and peeled away the towel. Her eyes widened in shock at the damage. "These wounds should be cleaned first," she said practically, willing herself to stay collected.  
  
Ardeth Bey nodded. "A wise decision," he said, leaning back and trying to relax.  
  
"It's going to hurt like hell." Rick said from the doorway, his hands full of linens. Evy raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Jonathan didn't seem to be up to this," Rick said ruefully. Evy shook her head. Rick laid down the linens and pulled a full bottle of whiskey out from under the pile. He nudged Ardeth's shoulder. "This'll help."  
  
Ardeth shook his head. "No, my friend. I cannot."  
  
Rick frowned. "Why the hell not?"  
  
"Allah forbids it."  
  
Rick snorted. "Allah isn't the one having mummy fingernails pulled out of chest now is he?" He caught Evy's frown of disapproval. "No disrespect intended, of course," he added hastily.  
  
Ardeth's hands fisted as Evy pulled another piece of cloth from one of the wounds. "None taken." He looked over at Rick who was, himself, drinking deeply from the bottle.  
  
Rick smiled a hangdog smile. "Allah didn't forbid me."  
  
"Rick!" Evy sounded like a schoolmistress scolding a naughty boy. She turned to Ardeth. "Shall we?" She pursed her lips and began to clean the wounds.  
  
Rick had said it would hurt like hell. And it did. Bey knew Evelyn was trying to be as gentle as possible but it didn't help. Even the whiskey would have done little to dull the agony that laced across his chest like lightning strikes with every stroke of the cloth. With relief, he felt the last of the blood and filth wiped away.  
  
"My God!" Evelyn's soft whisper and Rick's low whistle made Ardeth open eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed.  
  
They were looking at his chest, the center of which was covered with an elaborate set of tatoos, reminiscent of hieroglyphs on his skin. "What are these?" she asked, running her finger over them without touching his skin, trying to decipher the meanings.  
  
"They are who I am," Bey said quietly. He closed his eyes again.  
  
"Are all Med-jai marked so elaborately?"  
  
"No."  
  
Evelyn looked the tatoos over, chewing on her lip, this new puzzle sending any other thought out of her scholarly mind. His wrists and upper arms were circled with marks similar to those she'd seen on other Med-jai. But his chest! A glowing sun was emblazoned around his left nipple, a crescent moon over his right. A straight path of symbols traced from the top of his breastbone to his stomach where they fanned into an elaborate arc over his navel.  
  
"Suns, moons, scimitars," she mumbled. "I can identify those readily enough." They were all clearly outlined against his dark skin. "What's this one?" She leaned closer to study a particularly elaborate set of markings. She recognized one symbol in particular and after a moment she realized she was looking at a rendering of their last encounter with Imhotep.  
  
"These markings tell the story of your life!" she said breathlessly. "Each of these represents something that has happened to you or some task you've performed, isn't it?" Evelyn leaned in to look closer at one that sat by itself on his right shoulder. It was marred by a long sword cut, still oozing blood. "Oh, no! That man, the one in the turban, he cut through this one! I can't make it out. . ." Bey's hand shoved hers away from where it hovered over the artwork. "Leave it," he commanded in a low voice. "It is fitting that Loch-nah marked it. He is the one who put it there."  
  
"That giant is your tattoo artist?" Evelyn was puzzled.  
  
"No," Bey said quietly.  
  
"Evy," Rick said from behind her where he was ripping sheets into bandages, "done sightseeing?" He felt terrible considering the circumstances, but watching her show interest in another man's bare chest sent a pang of jealously stabbing through him.  
  
Evelyn blushed, remembering what she'd been doing in the first place. "Right. I forget myself sometimes, I know." Evelyn knew she was rambling. It helped take her mind off everything. And if she let herself dwell on the situation, she knew she'd go mad. Besides, lecturing always made her feel better. "I've done some reading since we last met. There's very little written about the Med-jai. You aren't supposed to exist, after all, but I did come across some interesting references, very ancient, of course. I'd love to know if they are still true. For instance, are there still 12 clans, each with a chieftain?" She spoke as she worked cleaning little bits of Ardeth's clothing from the wounds.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I imagine in ancient times it was hard to coordinate them all."  
  
"Not so difficult as you may think," Bey smiled slightly and cut off the question he could see forming in her mind. "You will see when we return to Cairo. Some of the old ways are still the best."  
  
Evelyn smiled back. Glad for an appreciative audience, she warmed to her topic as she continued to work. "I also read that the tribes were governed by one ruler. More than just a chieftain, we would consider him a king. And although the line usually ran from father to son, it was not passed on solely as a birthright. Anyone who would be king had to endure many dangerous trials to be considered worthy and any one of the tribe could challenge the king's heir for rule. This also meant he took on the role of general as well, as he was usually the best trained among them. The book I found said the Med-jai kings were all elaborately marked. Each king's markings were unique and the longer the king lived the more markings he had. One king purportedly had markings over his entire body, even the soles of his feet, he lived so long. Can you imagine?" She looked up into his face and laughed, a little embarrassed. "I guess you could." Her eyes fell once again to the work her hands were doing. Ardeth Bey counted the heartbeats it took for her hands to still. Twenty. "Evelyn is a little slow tonight," he thought. Ten more heartbeats for her eyes to reach his once more.  
  
"Oh my God," she breathed.  
  
Bey said nothing, did nothing. He let the thought sink further into her brain. He was aware that Rick had stopped what he was doing as well  
  
"You're their king." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
Bey's voice was quiet. "I am."  
  
"Why in the hell didn't you tell us?" demanded Rick, obviously not too happy with this news.  
  
Ardeth raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you have believed me?"  
  
Rick grinned mischievously . "No."  
  
Evelyn was confused. "Why do they let you. . .?"  
  
He did not let her finish the question. "There is no one else who knows these things as I do."  
  
"But you are their king!" She truly did not understand.  
  
Ardeth painfully pulled himself forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I have sworn to protect my people, to protect mankind, from the Creature. I know it must sound arrogant and self-righteous to your ears, but I ask you, can you think of any others who would do what we do? What we have done diligently for centuries?" His eyes met Rick's. "I would not ask any of my people to do that which I would not do myself. They can survive without me for a time. Forever, if need be. Right now I am where I must be. It is not a choice. It is my sworn duty. It is my life.  
  
Rick studied him for a few moments in silence. Then he nodded.  
  
"How could we have missed it?" Evy wondered aloud to herself.  
  
"You were not looking," Ardeth replied. And then he smiled at her. A true smile. Not one brought about by danger or sarcasm, but a genuine smile that touched his eyes. It was the first she'd ever seen from him and she knew, in that instant, why his people followed him. "But now, I must ask you to keep silent about what you know. The identity of the Med-jai king is not known outside our tribe and there are those who would use this information against us."  
  
This having been said, Bey sank back against the chair, unable to hold himself upright any longer. Evy watched him collapse and mentally chided herself for forgetting what she was supposed to be doing and got back to work. She removed the remaining bits of cloth as best she could. "It looks like the damage to the tatoos will be minimal," she said brightly, trying to change the subject.  
  
"I am relieved to hear it," Bey said. "I would hate to have to go through having them done again."  
  
Evelyn's forehead creased. "Does it hurt much?" she asked innocently.  
  
Bey and O'Connell exchanged a look over her head. "I used to think so," Ardeth quipped. "Finish."  
  
Evy nodded. "Rick," she asked, her eyes boring into Ardeth's, "I think we're going to need Jonathan now."  
  
"I'm here," her brother said from the doorway. "Ardeth, old man, how are . . . Oh, I say!" Jonathan Carnahan paled significantly as he surveyed the bloody stripes. Bey would have laughed if he hadn't felt like the underside of hell.  
  
Evelyn waved him closer. "Jonathan, I need you to hold his shoulder. Just there, that's right. Rick?"  
  
"Got it."  
  
She smiled tightly at her helpers as they restrained the warrior from behind. "Ready?" she asked. They nodded. She looked at Ardeth Bey, silently asking him for permission to proceed. He nodded and tightened his jaw. She then looked back at her husband, a silent plea in her eyes. Rick's eyes told her he understood and he tightened the restraining hand on Bey's shoulder. "Hang on," he murmured.  
  
With a quick dash of her wrist, Evelyn poured the contents of the whiskey bottle over Ardeth's open wounds. Ardeth felt as if his entire chest were being ripped away. The pain was excruciating. He surged against the hands holding him down, his subconscious willing him to escape the terrible pain. He heard a loud roaring in his ears and then, blissfully, blackness claimed him.  
  
"Rick!" Evy cried, raising her voice above the terrible cry emanating from the Med-jai's throat.  
  
"Got him! Jonathan, hold on!"  
  
"I'm trying!" Carnahan said, as he fought against Bey's sudden burst of strength.  
  
Without warning, Ardeth lost consciousness and slid sideways. Rick caught him before he could fall and propped him up on the couch. Evy gasped and grabbed for the rest of the linens she'd brought. "What!?" Jonathan asked, startled. He looked down and saw whiskey diluted blood running from the four deep gashes across Bey's chest. "Oh, my!" Jonathan muttered, then his eyes rolled back in his head and gracefully passed out.  
  
"Terrific," muttered Evelyn as she pressed the folded cloth firmly against Bey's wounds, quickly stopping the flow of blood. Her hands were shaking. When the bleeding had stopped completely, Rick lifted Ardeth's limp body and Evelyn bound his chest tightly with the long strips of linen. She deliberately ignored the tatoos on his back. When they'd finished, Rick gently lifted Bey under the arms and, with Evelyn supporting his legs, carried him into the adjoining room.  
  
Evelyn struggled under the heavy weight and was relieved when they finally lay Ardeth on the bed. Now that his wounds were bandaged, the realization of what she'd just done crashed in to her. She found she could still hear Ardeth's cry of pain still echoing in her ears and she put her hands to her head as if to shut out the sound. Rick turned and saw his wife's stricken expression. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. "I know," he said plainly, reading her thoughts. "I know." The warrior's cry had effected him deeply as well. He never really considered Ardeth human before. Now he knew better. And it worried him because he needed Ardeth Bey to help him find his son. He'll be alright," he said quietly, as much for his own benefit as Evy's. "He has to be."

_With blade, blood, and bone I will honor the sacred vow of my anscestors.  
from the Med-jai Rite of Passage_

Evelyn glanced back at the sleeping form of Ardeth Bey. "Are you sure he's alright?" she asked Rick for the hundredth time. "He's been asleep since we took off."  
  
Rick put an arm around her and hugged her shoulders. "He lost a little blood. He assured me he'd be fine if we would just let him sleep."  
  
O'Connell studied his wife's face. She knew he was lying through his teeth. They could both tell just by looking that Ardeth was in rough shape. His swarthy features were pale and the thin sheen of perspiration on his face in the relatively cool interior of the plane was a blatant sign of fever. Still, they were going to play this charade out, for all their sakes. At last she nodded, pretending to be satisfied. "I'm going to go and check on him, though, just to see if he needs anything." Evelyn hurried back to where Bey slept and lay a hand on his forehead. His eyes fluttered open.  
  
"You're a little feverish," she said quietly.  
  
Bey nodded. He could feel the fever burning him up from inside. "How much longer?" he asked quietly, as if talking was an effort.  
  
"A couple of hours at most."  
  
"When we land, I will contact my people. Then, I will meet you tomorrow morning as we agreed." Ardeth's eyes closed again. Evelyn kept her hand on his head for a moment longer. From the front of the plane, Rick O'Connell watched his wife. He knew she was very worried about Ardeth Bey. He also knew that her worry for him was helpful in a way. If she was worried about Bey, she wouldn't be so focused on Alex. O'Connell knew that their chances of getting his son back alive were slim. He would never tell Evy that. But he knew it. And Ardeth Bey knew it, too. Of that he was certain. 

_ "As of this moment, the Med-jai alone stand between eternal evil and the next sunrise." _

_Words spoken by the captain of the Med-jai at the invocation of the Homdai  
_

Ardeth Bey woke as the plane touched down in Cairo. He felt somewhat stronger, but knew that was just an illusion. He needed to seek out a healer among his people immediately. He stood up slowly, using the wall to steady himself. Bey lurched slightly as the plane bumped over something on the runway and would have fallen if O'Connell hadn't been there to catch him. Ardeth closed his eyes for a second, willing the pain to recede. Finally, he looked up at Rick. "Thank you, my friend."  
  
"You gonna make it alright, buddy?" Rick was genuinely concerned. Bey found himself oddly touched by that and smiled tightly. "I will live." He pulled away from O'Connell's grasp and headed for the plane's now open door. He turned, the light behind him turning him into a dim shadow. "I will meet you tomorrow as we agreed. There are many preparations to be made."  
  
"Ardeth. . ." Rick didn't finish. He didn't need to. The Med-jai knew what he was thinking.  
  
"I will be there, O'Connell, whatever it takes. Upon my oath, I swear it."  
  
Rick nodded and Ardeth Bey disappeared into the light.


	2. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 2

Chapter Two - A Warrior Falls

_ "Only steel itself is stronger than an oath spoken by a Med-jai."  
Old Bedouin saying_

Bashaar Adnan and Ziyad Falhalil had been waiting. The others in Ardeth Bey's command had been scattered about the city, scouting any possible place he might return. Adnan had a feeling, though, that whatever was happening was dire, and his commander would return by the fastest means possible. So it was that when the small, private plane zoomed in for a landing, he headed for the runway with his general's horse, leaving his companion to catch up. At first, the sight of his commander exiting the craft made him grin. He'd been right! He held out his hand to Falhalil. They'd made a bet on where Bey would return. But as he watched Ardeth Bey move closer, Adnan saw two things that made his heart sink. First, he could tell that the news Bey had received in England was bad. Very, very bad. And second, he could tell that Bey was seriously injured. His hand dropped and he jumped from his mount and ran the remaining yards to Bey's side. "What is it?" he asked, a hand steadying the swaying chieftain.  
  
"We talk while we ride," Bey ordered, pulling away from him and heading for the horses.  
  
Bashaar stopped him again. "You are in no shape to ride, my lord."  
  
Ardeth Bey turned the full force of his gaze upon his captain. "If I do not ride, we will all die. The Creature has been restored and he seeks the Scorpion King." Adnan gasped. "So you see," continued Bey, "I have no choice." His voice softened and he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "There is much to be done by nightfall. I will tell you everything you need to know while we ride."  
  
"Where are we going?" Bashaar asked as he turned Bey's horse so he could mount. Bey pulled himself up into the saddle with a moan he couldn't swallow. He closed his eyes a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning. When he felt he could open them without wanting to retch, he looked to his warrior. "To the old woman's," he said. "And, Bashaar, listen carefully. I will tell you quickly all that I must for I tell you truthfully I will be very lucky to make it that far."

Bashaar nodded, acknowledging his commander's honesty, and listened carefully to all he was told. Falhalil led their race through the city streets, giving Bey the chance to relay his information. Where they rode, people scattered. The Med-jai were still held in fear and awe here and few dared to oppose them. Bey did make it to their destination. Barely. As they reined to a stop, Falhalil and Adnan had to leap from their horses as their leader fell from his mount, barely catching him before he hit the stones below.  
  
"Safiya!" Bashaar yelled as he and Falhalil carried the unconscious chieftain into the house. "Safiya, come quickly!"  
  
A soft shuffling came from the darkened corridor beyond them. "I come, I come. I am an old woman, remember. I will come as quickly as I may."  
  
"He is injured!"Bashaar cried, not bothering to name the 'he'. Safiya seemed to know however, and the shuffling increased. "Zahrah! Light the lights!" The woman who served as apprentice to the healer hurried about, lighting the lanterns.  
  
"Put him down, put him down! By the love of Allah, what has my boy gotten into now?" Safiya ran skilled hands over his face, noting the presence of fever.  
  
"A mummy. One of the Creature's unholy guards," Bashaar answered as he and the other warrior gently laid Bey onto a low chaise.  
  
"When?"she demanded.  
  
"Almost two days."  
  
Without being asked, Zahrah put a sharp knife in Safiya's outstretched hand and held the cloth of Bey's robes taut. Safiya ripped open the Med-jai's robes, exposing the blood stained bandages beneath, then cut again to reveal the deep, red furrows that were already swelling with infection.  
  
"Zahrah," she commanded with the force of Bey himself, "you know what must be done. Get me my things."  
  
"Wait!" Adnan spoke firmly. Falhalil reached out a hand to stop Zahrah from going further. Safiya began to protest, but the young captain kneeled beside her. "Old woman," he said reverently, "there is no time. He gave me explicit instructions: Get him on his feet as quickly as possible and keep him there for seven days at least."  
  
Safiya gasped. "It is not possible. Look at him, Bashaar!" She ran a reverent hand over Ardeth Bey's forehead. "He is already fighting the fever and the wounds are infected. If we wait seven days, the very thing that will cure him could kill him, if the wounds themselves do not kill him by then!"  
  
A soft moan from the man beside her caught her attention. "Enough!" The command was weak but firm. "It must be done, Old One."  
  
Safiya turned sharp eyes on her leader. "You are in no shape to give commands to me, child," she warned with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Then hear this, I command you not as chieftain, nor as commander of the Med-jai, but as your king. You will do this that I have asked."  
  
The room went silent. For Ardeth Bey to invoke his power as sovereign was unheard of. Undaunted, Safiya continued to stare into his eyes. "It will be your death if you do this."  
  
"It will be all our deaths if I do not." Realizing he was not convincing her, Ardeth gently grasped the old woman's hands. "The Creature has been restored once more. He has the key to Ahm Shere. He seeks to wrest the power over Anubis' army from the Scorpion King." The old woman inhaled sharply. "So you see, there is no other choice. My friends, the O'Connells await me at the airfield in the morning and I must meet with the commanders tonight." Ardeth lowered his voice. "Grandmother, if you do not do this, we are lost."  
  
Safiya closed her eyes, whether in contemplation or prayer, Bashaar was not sure. He could not know that it was her anger she wished to hide.  
  
"Grandmother! How dare he use that endearment!" she raged to herself. "Does he not see that he is dearer to me than life itself? Does he not know how much I love him, this son of my daughter? I would sooner cut my own throat than do this to him." She sighed. "Still, he has commanded me and he is no longer the boy I sang to sleep." She sighed again and opened her eyes. Bashaar almost cheered. He saw resignation in their depths.  
  
"I can give you four days. But, promise me this, Ardeth Bey - in four days you will seek the help you need."  
  
He attempted a smile. "I promise," he assured her.  
  
"Bashaar," Safiya barked sharply, "help me up. There is much for us to do."

_"I will battle as long as I am able. Then I will fall or fight on as Allah sees fit."  
Med-jai saying_

Ardeth Bey watched with relief as the O'Connell's were lifted safely from the top of the crumbling pyramid by Izzy's dirigible. Again, things had gone their way, praise Allah. And again the Creature was returned to the Underworld where he belonged. His heart was saddened at the departure of his friends. It seemed that they only met when circumstances were dire and death was at hand. And he felt certain that he had cheated death one too many times and she would find him before long. Even now he felt the strong drugs that Safiya had given him to keep him going seep out of his veins, steadily weakening him. The pain that he'd kept at bay for a week now overwhelmed him and he clenched his teeth against the agony.  
  
When he'd met up with the O'Connell's at the airfield, they had looked at him closely and inquired about his injuries. He assured them he was fine. His healer could work miracles, he told them. Seeing him seemingly fit and hearty had relieved their fears, just as he'd hoped, and they questioned him no further. They had no idea that the pouch at his waist contained powerful potions that would mask his pain and give him strength. He'd taken them sparingly, making the four day supply last six. Safiya would definitely not be pleased. Still, it was his risk to take, his life to risk. The O'Connell's had needed him. The commanders of the twelve tribes had needed him. Only he could lead them in this battle against Anubis' army. Oh, others could head the charge, but it was his presence alone that gave them the courage to continue. He knew that and it humbled him. But now the army of Anubis was safely restored to the desert sands from whence it came and he alone would pay the price for his actions.  
  
Bey rode slowly toward his remaining troops, the majority of them having headed out already for home and hearth. His vision began to swim and the waves of silver radiating up from the sand were hypnotic. Ardeth looked ahead and, as if from a great distance, saw Bashaar frown and turn his horse toward him. He met his captain's eyes and smiled painfully, wanting to reassure him. But before any words could form on his lips, the world went dark and he plummeted out of his saddle, mercifully unconscious by the time he hit the ground, his wounds ripping open on impact.

_Do not seek the wisdom of children in the elders, __but seek the __wisdom of elders in the children.  
Med-jai saying  
_  
Alex O'Connell stood at the back of the dirigible and watched the departing Med-jai. It was far preferable to watching his parents kiss. He was amazed at how quickly the large army dispersed. He watched the lone figure of Ardeth Bey ride back to the warriors who remained. He was fascinated by the Med-jai warrior. He'd only met him a few, brief times, but Ardeth Bey had made quite an impact on the young man. So it was with no small amount of alarm that he saw Bey sway in his saddle and fall, one of his men racing to catch him before he hit the ground.  
  
"Dad! Mum!" Alex yelled, terror coloring his voice. Rick and Evelyn raced to the back of the blimp as fast as they could. "What is it, Alex?!" Evy cried. Turning her son, thinking he'd been hurt. Alex struggled free. "Look!" He pointed to the desert below. Ardeth Bey lay in a heap next to his horse, a distinct crimson stain spreading across the white sand beside him.

Bashaar raced the wind, desperate to reach Ardeth Bey. He jumped from his still moving horse and landed on his knees beside his king. "Allah, be merciful. Allah, be merciful," he prayed over and over, tears streaming down his face, as he turned Ardeth over and held him his arms. His hands fumbled at Bey's neck and it was a moment before he found what he wanted - a pulse, thin and weak, beating against his fingertips.  
  
Falhalil landed on his feet beside Bashaar, then, he too, fell to his knees. He looked desperately into Bashaar's face.  
  
Bashaar looked at his friend. "He lives."  
  
"We must get him to the healer!" Falhalil cried desperately, not noticing the other warriors gathering around.  
  
Bashaar ripped the Med-jai leaders robes away with his bare hands and saw flowing blood staining the bandages. He saw the yellow seepage of infection as well and he prayed again. "We must take him to the oasis at Ahm Vier," he said gravely.  
  
"Ahm Vier is a two days ride!" one of the other warriors lamented, none of them bothering to hide their concern.  
  
"Ahm Vier is where the Old Woman waits. She is his only hope now."  
  
Bashaar turned his head at a commotion from the ranks around them. Rick O'Connell burst through the men around him and crouched down beside Bey, his eyes taking in the bloody bandages and their implications.  
  
"Jesus! What in the hell has he done?" Rick shook the still form, yelling into his face. "Ardeth, what the hell kind of stunt did you pull?"  
  
Small hands tried to pull him back. "Rick! Rick! Stop it! You're hurting him more! Rick!" Evelyn's voice reached him and he dropped his hands. He looked at Bashaar Adnan. "English?" he asked curtly. Bashaar nodded.  
  
"What in the hell has he done to himself? He was fine when we left Cairo."  
  
Bashaar shook his head. "He was not fine. He was gravely injured even then. The sense of well being and strength was a mask. A healer gave Ardeth enough potion to keep him on his feet until he accomplished his mission."  
  
Evelyn was aghast. "A healer? How could a healer let him do this to himself?"  
  
Bashaar smiled without humor. "Have you ever tried talking him out of something?"  
  
Rick bowed his head. He knew the answer to that one. Evelyn was still shaking her head. She couldn't believe this was happening. "Why would he have done this? I don't understand."  
  
Bashaar's gaze drifted behind her. She turned and followed his gaze to her son.  
  
"Alright," Rick was determined to see this right, "what now?"  
  
Bashaar sighed inwardly. "We need to get him to our healer. She awaits us in Ahm Vier, two day's journey from here."  
  
"Two days? By horseback?"  
  
"Yes, but I fear that Ardeth will not make it that far. Already he bleeds heavily and the wounds are dangerously septic."  
  
Rick thought a moment. Then he looked at Izzy who'd joined the group around Bey. "Do you know where this place is?" Izzy nodded. "How long?"  
  
Izzy thought a moment. "One day at most with a good wind. One and a half if we're not so lucky."  
  
Rick stood up determinedly. "You better pray we're lucky." He pointed at Bashaar. "You - what's your name?"  
  
"Bashaar Adnan."  
  
"Right. Let's get him aboard. We'll get him to this oasis of yours."  
  
Bashaar laid Ardeth's head in Falhalil's arms and stood as well. "I must insist on coming with you. I have some skill with this kind of wound."  
  
Rick nodded. Bashaar turned to the soldiers around him and quickly issued commands in Arabic. Warriors scattered to do his bidding and before long a blanket had been brought to use as a stretcher and Ardeth Bey was carried carefully to the waiting aircraft.  
  
Izzy pulled Rick aside. "We'll make better time without the added weight," he muttered, indicating Bashaar.  
  
Rick grinned and jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the heavily armed warrior. "You wanna tell him he can't go?"  
  
Izzy blanched under his dark skin. "No way! But still, we would do well to let someone else off in his place."  
  
Rick thought a moment, then nodded. "Bashaar," he called. "Come here a minute." Rick and the Med-jai captain spoke quietly for a moment. Bashaar turned and looked at Jonathan, who was leaning against the edge of the craft, looking important. Then he laughed and nodded. Rick slapped him on the back and they made their way back to the blimp. "Hey, Jonathan, great news. You're gonna ride back with these guys," he gestured to the remaining Med-jai, "while we take Ardeth here to the oasis. We'll see you in a couple of days, okay? Great. Okay, Bashaar, let's get going." He lifted a foot to climb aboard.  
  
Jonathan's hand pulled him back. "I'm what?! You can't be serious? You want me to ride with them?" He gave Bashaar what he hoped was a friendly look and pulled his brother in law aside. "They're vicious killers," he said very quietly through clenched teeth, even though he continued to smile at Bashaar and his men. "They'll leave me for dead in the desert. I don't think they've quite forgiven us for that little incident with you know who."  
  
Rick laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Oh, sure they have! It won't be that bad. Think of it as an adventure. Besides, you might like it."  
  
"I don't know, Rick. . ."  
  
O'Connell cut him off with a serious look. "Jonathan, if we don't get Ardeth to this healer of theirs, he's gonna die. Plain and simple. The sooner we get him there the better his chances are. Izzy say's we'll make better time without your added weight."  
  
Jonathan wasn't convinced. "But. . ."  
  
"I thought he was your friend, too." Evelyn's soft, disappointed voice from behind him made his mind up for him. He threw up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. He is my friend. And I'll ride with his . . . his . . . um, other friends if it will help. Just don't expect me to like it." And with that he huffed off towards a horse that Falhalil was obviously holding for him. He looked into the brown eyes and sighed with resignation. "At least you're not a camel," he stated to the beast.  
  
Evelyn smiled at him and waved as the band rode away in a cloud of dust. Then she and Rick climbed into the balloon. Bashaar and Alex had made Ardeth comfortable on a small pallet in the front of the craft. Izzy fired up the heat and they rose slowly into the sky. "West, right?" Izzy asked Bashaar. "West," the warrior confirmed.  
  
Evelyn settled next to the warrior captain. "I'm Evy. Um, Evelyn O'Connell. And this is Alex," she smiled at her son. "Your name is Bashaar?" Bashaar nodded and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips. "Bashaar Adnan. A captain of the Med-jai. I am honored to meet you. And your esteemed husband. Ardeth Bey has spoken much of you over the years."  
  
"I'll bet," grumbled Rick with good humor as he knelt on the other side of Med-jai leader. "What now?"  
  
Bashaar looked grave. "We should remove the bandages and wash the wounds as best we can. It will be an unpleasant task. The infection is great. If you choose not to help, I would understand."  
  
Evelyn and Rick exchanged a glance. "We'll help,"she offered. "Alex, would you see if you can help Izzy with anything?"  
  
Alex didn't move. "Mum, this happened to Ardeth because he wanted to help you and Dad find me. I want to help him, too." Evy looked at his solemn face. "I'm not a baby anymore." She admired him for his bravery. He'd been through so much in the last week and yet he thought only of helping Ardeth. Evy threw her arms around her son and held him tight. "I'm very proud of you," she whispered tearfully. "But if this is too much, I want you to walk away, alright?"  
  
Alex looked into his mother's eyes. "I will."  
  
Rick swallowed as the Med-jai took a razor sharp dagger from it's sheath at his waist and cut away the gore soaked bandages. Alex gasped and Evy turned away at the sight of the yellowish fluid oozing out of the cuts along with the blood. She could tell that the cuts must have come open when he fell. The angry, raw edges had the look of half healed skin that had been ripped apart. Evy dug her fingernails into her palms and forced herself to look back. She saw Bashaar looking at her with a small smile of pity. "It is always thus with these types of wounds. Although, I have not seen one this bad in a very long time."  
  
"What happened to him? The other guy like this?" Alex asked breathlessly. He wanted to turn away from the horror of Ardeth's mangled chest but couldn't.  
  
"He did not survive," Bashaar told him gravely.  
  
"Well, that's not going to happen this time, now is it." Evy stated matter- of-factly, heart felt conviction evident in her tone. "What do we do next?"  
  
For the next hour they washed and cleaned the deep gashes. Bashaar poured a herb scented oily liquid into the wounds, telling them it would help some with the infection. Ardeth remained mercifully unconscious through the process and they soon had him bandaged with fresh linens. "Now we must watch. We must try and get him to drink this potion every time he wakes." Bashaar produced a small bottle from his pocket.  
  
"What's that for?" Rick asked.  
  
"Fever. When the mummy strikes thusly, it is not the wound so much as the fever that can kill. That, and the pain." "Well, can't your healer give him something for that? I mean, if they can make potions to keep him on his feet when he's like this. . ."  
  
Bashaar shook his head. "You do not understand. The process for treating these wounds can be almost as deadly as the wounds themselves." He could see that they didn't understand. "When the mummy strikes, all that is rotten and evil in his skin imbeds in the wounds. The wounds must not only be washed and treated, but they must be debrided."  
  
"Debrided?" Alex asked, not sure what it meant but figuring it couldn't be very pleasant.  
  
"All that came in contact with the mummy's fingers must be scraped away," Bashaar explained, "otherwise, the victim will never be free of the infection. It is a terrible cure but we have found nothing else that will work."  
  
Evy's hand was against her mouth. She couldn't believe this! "That's inhuman!" she gasped.  
  
"As is the mummy. Believe me, Mrs. O'Connell. There is no other way."  
  
Evy wanted to protest but Rick gathered her in his arms. "Evy, I know what you're thinking but we aren't the experts here. They are. After three thousand years they would have found another way if there was one."  
  
Her shoulders racked with sobs. "I know," she whispered. "I just can't stand to think of him going through that. I thought it was over. I thought it was all over."  
  
Rick held her close. "We all did, Evy. We all did."


	3. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 3

Chapter Three - A Prince of Egypt  
  
Throughout the rest of the day, they waited, but Ardeth did not regain consciousness. Bashaar said nothing, but the O'Connell's knew this was not a good sign. His breathing remained shallow and his pulse weak. The fact that he was still breathing and had a pulse was the only thing that kept them hopeful. On the other hand, his fever seemed lower and that was encouraging.  
  
Twilight filled the sky and Evy went to prepare some food. Rick was sleeping, his week finally catching up with him. Bashaar sat quietly near his leader and only nodded when Alex approached. Alex sat next to the chieftain, his small hand reaching out to hold one of Ardeth's large ones. Deep within his child's heart, he knew that a mere touch could be important.  
  
"I know you can't hear me," he said quietly, "but I want to thank you for helping Mum and Dads find me. I know they'd never tell you, but you mean a lot to them. They talk about you sometimes. They even said you might come and visit but you never did. I would have liked that. I mean, I would like to learn about the Med-jai. Dad doesn't really know much and Mum gets too lecturey about it. I want to know the real things." Alex looked up at the sky for moment, thinking. "Dad says the only way to kill an Anubis' warrior was to cut off his head. I want to know how long it takes to learn how to wield that scimitar properly. Dad can't tell me that. He doesn't even know how to use a scimitar."  
  
"He does. But his form is terrible."  
  
Alex looked around to find the source of the voice. "What?"  
  
"Your father has used a scimitar but he does so badly. I will show you the proper way."  
  
For a moment, Alex thought he was hearing things. Then he looked down. Ardeth's eyes were open. "Mum! Dad! Bashaar! He's awake." The boy's cries brought the others in a hurry.  
  
"Allah be praised, you are awake at last," Bashaar said joyfully. "Oh, Ardeth! We've been so worried!" "I was talking to him and he just woke up." "You must drink the potion at once." "Are you comfortable? Can we get you anything?"  
  
Bashaar, Alex and Evy talked over each other, each trying to be heard. Ardeth winced and looked helplessly up at Rick. Rick took pity on him, he knew how it felt to have someone yelling over you when all you wanted was peace. He shrugged an apology to Ardeth and shouted, "Quiet!" The talking stopped instantly. "Much better. Ardeth, old buddy, how ya' feeling?"  
  
"As you put it so succinctly in London, it hurts like hell."  
  
Rick smiled in sympathy. "I bet. Now Bashaar here has something you need to drink. And then Evy gets to ask you if you need anything. But," he gave the two a warning look, "they're gonna do it quietly and one at a time. Alex is gonna get you a nice drink of water to go with that little potion of Bashaar's. Alex?"  
  
Alex looked up at his dad and scampered off. Rick looked at Bashaar and held out a hand, inviting him to continue. After Bashaar had given him the medicine and Evy had seen to his comfort, they had moved away, sensing that Rick wanted a moment alone with his friend.  
  
"Ardeth, if you ever pull a stunt like this again, I'll kill you myself. Understand?" Rick's voice betrayed all he was feeling. Ardeth nodded. "Now why the hell didn't you tell us you were still hurting? No. Don't answer that. Why don't you tell me instead why you did this? Why did you come all the way out here knowing that you were gonna fall flat on your ass in five days regardless of what happened? And don't give me any of that sacred oath bull, either. I know something's going on with you, so spill it."  
  
Ardeth stared at the stars above him, bright now in the evening sky. He was weary. Beyond weary. He felt as if he could sleep forever. Still, it unnerved him that his friend could see beyond the cloak of duty. He sighed, wincing as the deep breath pulled at his wounds. His eyes began to close of their own accord. He was so tired. The answer fell from his lips unexpectedly. "I, too, know what it is to lose all that I hold dear."  
  
The answer was so quiet Rick didn't think he heard it at all. He leaned closer and took Ardeth's hand, surprising himself. "What?"  
  
Ardeth turned over bright eyes to Rick. "My wife. My son. I could not see you suffer that, my friend." Then his eyes slid shut, blessed sleep claiming him. A single tear escaped from under his lashes, sliding silently through the dust that covered his cheek. A slim hand reached out from behind Rick and wiped it away. Evy's hand then rested on her husband's shoulder, comforting and solid. "I never knew," Rick choked.  
  
Bashaar's voice came softly from beyond them. "He never speaks of it."  
  
Evy turned toward the voice. Izzy had yet to light the lamps so Bashaar was only a silhouette against the sky. "Will you tell us?" she asked.  
  
Bashaar nodded slowly. "It is time you knew the truth," he said. "Once, of a time, there was a prince of the desert. A prince of the Med-jai. He was to take the throne of the Med-jai king when his time came as he had overcome all the trials laid before him. He was a mighty warrior, considered worthy by his people and by his king.  
  
Among the Med-jai tribes there was a young woman of beauty and kindness. A young woman named Iman who loved the prince as much as he loved her. Their's was a match determined at birth made all the sweeter by the fact that they loved one another. And so the time came and they married.  
  
Allah smiled upon them, quickly sending them a son, Haytham. They lived happy and content and after a time Iman gave forth the happy news that she was to bring another child into the world. Having waited some years to conceive again, she wanted to be with her husband when her time came, so, in her eighth month, she traveled with her son from the city of the Med-jai to the desert camp near Hamanaptra. Accompanied by many Med-jai, she was unafraid of ambush. On the night before she was to reach her husband, the caravan was attacked by the members of an ancient cult who worshipped He Who Must Not Be Named. Their hatred of the Med-jai ran deep as the Med-jai were the ones who protected the City of the Dead and kept all from entering it. They showed no mercy. In the Med-jai camp, the prince could feel that something was wrong, so strong was his bond with his beloved. He gathered his men and rode out to meet the caravan. The prince urged them on, a feeling of terrible foreboding driving him faster into the night. He arrived at the caravan to find all who traveled with it dead or dying.  
  
He tore the wreckage of the caravan apart, searching for his wife and son. He found them at the center of the carnage. His son was wrapped in his mother's arms, dead. His wife near death. She begged only one thing of him. Take their living child from her womb that it might live. The prince refused, knowing that to do this would certainly cause her death, but Iman knew in the way of those who are about die that there was no hope. Again she begged him to take the child. The prince was desolate. He prayed to Allah, begging for both their lives, offering up his own life in exchange. Iman, who wise, chided him gently, and she revealed to him a vision that had come to her as their son died. A great disturbance was coming, one in which he would be needed. But before this happened, he would save the life of another's son, so that another would not suffer as he had.  
  
As the prince contemplated this, and held his wife in his arms, the child in her womb moved against the prince's hand. Iman begged of him one last time to remove the child that she might see it before she died. The prince could not refuse her. He knew in his heart that she would not live, so he cut the living child from Iman's womb. Iman beheld her daughter and breathed one last word - Azizah.  
  
The prince raised his voice in anguish and grief to the heavens, and swore vengeance on those who had done this thing. He sent the child back to the camp where she could be cared for, then he and his warriors rode into the desert to avenge the deaths of their clansmen. And though the cult members outnumbered the prince and his men, their rage made them strong and the cult was destroyed. Only one, the cult's leader, escaped, and he lived to recruit others in his terrible quest. To this day his name is reviled among our people."  
  
There was no sound on the small craft. Only Evy's muffled weeping and Izzy's sniffling rose above the quiet. Finally, Rick broke the silence with a hoarse whisper. "When did all this happen?"  
  
"He married one year after He Who Must Not Be Named rose the first time."  
  
"So his son would have been as old as Alex." Evelyn began to cry again.  
  
"Thank you, Bashaar, for telling us." Rick managed, his voice thick with unshed tears.  
  
"It is fitting that you know," Bashaar replied.  
  
"The cult's leader," said Alex quietly, horrified by what he had heard, "did Ardeth, I mean the prince, ever find him?"  
  
Bashaar nodded grimly. "In the depths of Ahm Shere the prince met the cult leader once more and avenged his wife and son."  
  
No one spoke for a very long time after Bashaar had finished. Each went about wrapped in their own thoughts. Rick and Evelyn spent a lot of time embracing their son, and, for once, he did not complain. He simply hugged them back with all his strength. Bashaar watched by his leader's side, hoping against hope, that they would reach the oasis in time. As the sky darkened from azure to black, he began drift off, tired from the day's events, from the long journey he and the army had made in such a short time. Evelyn covered him with a light blanket, then stood a moment by the rail, looking down at her husband and son, sleeping side by side. She wanted to sleep, she was dead tired, but the story of Ardeth and Iman haunted her. She had no idea he'd suffered so much. Evy was still finding it hard to believe he had a small child at home. A daughter no less. "That should prove to be very interesting in another ten years or so", she thought with a quiet laugh. Stretching widely, she settled down next to her family and eventually drifted off to sleep, images of a young suitor being met at Azizah's door by Ardeth in full weaponry.  
  
Behind her, Ardeth's body began to fight the infection with a vengeance. His temperature began to rise higher and higher and a sheen of sweat broke out on his brow. His delirious mind began to reconstruct the terrible things he had seen in his life and near midnight his screaming woke them all.  
__

_ If my life's blood could save the life of my brother, he has but to ask and  
it shall be his.  
Med-jai oath of friendship_

_  
_The oasis was a welcome sight for the weary travelers. All night they'd fought to hold Ardeth's demons at bay, struggling to keep him still while his body fought their restraining hands. Encouraging words did nothing to tame the nightmares and hallucinations brought on by the high fever. In his mind he fought Imhotep, Loch-nah, desert bandits and countless other horrors that Evelyn knew in her heart she didn't want explained. In her mind, it was a miracle that they'd kept him from making his wounds worse than he did. As it was, he'd lost more blood over the course of the night, weakening him further. Bashaar's attempts to pour more of the fever potion down his throat met with little success.  
  
As the sun rose, Ardeth had quieted abruptly. They had all panicked for a moment, thinking he'd died. Only the shallow intakes of breath gave them any reassurance that he still lived. Pain and exhaustion showed on his face and Evy wondered if the dark circles under Rick's eyes looked anything like her own.  
  
It was with no small amount of relief that the oasis was spotted several hours later and they touched down at last. Rick and Bashaar gently lowered Ardeth from the aircraft and a woman, completely veiled even to her eyes, beckoned them to follow. They carried him as gently as possible to a small pallet of blankets that had been laid out by the large pool in the oasis' center. Waiting here was surely the oldest woman Evelyn had ever laid eyes on. She was wrinkled beyond belief and her skin had the look and color of old, worn leather, but her eyes! Her eyes held the spark of a much younger woman.  
  
"Here," she called, "bring him here."  
  
Evelyn kneeled beside the woman. "How can I help?" she said in Arabic.  
  
"Zahrah and I," she gestured toward the veiled woman, "will care for my grandson, Evahlhyn. You will pray to your God for his life."  
  
Evy stared. "How do you know my name?" she asked.  
  
The old woman smiled at her showing, much to Evy's surprise, a full set of teeth. "There is little Safiya does not know, pretty one. Now go." The woman called Safiya shooed her away gently and Evy sought the comfort of Rick's arms. She watched the old woman and the younger woman, Zahrah, remove the bandages from Ardeth's chest. Suddenly, her view was blocked by Bashaar's large form.  
  
"You may want to move away," he said gravely. "This will not be easy to watch." He glanced meaningfully at Alex, who was plastered to his father's other side. Evelyn nodded and held out her hand. "Come with me, Alex. We'll wait over there." She pointed to the other side of the pool.  
  
"Mum, I can. . . "Alex wanted to stay. He felt obligated to stay by Ardeth's side. Without his help, his parents might not have gotten to him and he knew that he owed his life, in large part, to the desert king.  
  
Evy shook her head. "Not this time, Alex. Please. I don't want to wait alone and your father is needed here." Alex studied his mother for a moment and took her hand. Evy sent Rick one last look of encouragement over her shoulder and moved away.  
  
Rick envied her. He didn't particularly want to stay and see this either, but Ardeth's strength was more than the two women and Bashaar could handle alone, and the Med-jai who had accompanied the two women were standing guard. So Rick stood there and waited for someone to tell him what to do. He watched Bashaar remove a wrapped bundle from a pile of saddlebags near the tent that had been erected nearby. He unrolled it with a flick of his wrist and Rick looked down with horror at what could only be described as instruments of torture.  
  
The centerpiece of the bundle was a long, narrow spoon-like knife with sharp edges that winked in the sunlight. Surrounding it were long and short knives of all widths and an assortment of long needles and lengths of black thread. Rick swallowed hard. Bashaar must have noticed his discomfiture.  
  
"You are able to do this, O'Connell?" he asked, laying a hand on Rick's arm.  
  
Rick swallowed again, unable to tear his gaze away from the horrible sight before him. "Oh, yeah. Sure. No problem." He knew Bashaar didn't believe a word of it but to the man's credit he simply squeezed Rick's arm and knelt beside Ardeth's prone figure. Bashaar looked at the old woman. "Will you begin now?" he asked quietly.  
  
Safiya nodded and reached for a small knife. "We begin."  
  
Rick would have given anything to erase the next few hours from his mind. Safiya, with Zahrah's help, cut away most of the infection. It was hard to watch as each strip of virulent skin was peeled away under her skilled hands. Rick could tell she was being as gentle as possible, still Ardeth moaned in pain despite the deep unconsciousness that gripped him. Several times, as the knife cut deep into the angry wounds, Bashaar and Rick had to forcibly hold Ardeth's shoulders tight to the ground to keep him still. It was exhausting work for both men, for despite his weakened state, Bey was a force to be reckoned with. As night began to fall, Safiya reached her hand toward the spoon-knife. "You will hold him tightly," she warned Bashaar who translated for Rick.  
  
"Can't she give him something for the pain?" Rick asked the Med-jai.  
  
Bashaar shook his head. "He is unconscious. Anything she gave him he would choke upon. I had hoped he would wake up, even a little, so that she could give him something for the pain, but alas, it was not so." Bashaar grasped Rick's shoulder. "It is almost done. When she has finished cleaning out the wounds thusly," he gestured toward the knife she now held, "she will pour into the wounds a special potion that will burn away any remaining traces of the mummy's filth. This will be the hardest of all for Ardeth to endure. The pain of this has killed men stronger than he. We must be strong for him, O'Connell. We must hold him fast."  
  
Rick looked at Bashaar then down at his friend. He wanted to walk away from this. He'd had enough. Something of this must have shone through because the younger woman put a hand against his face. He met her eyes as well as he could through the veil that covered them. She said something quietly in Arabic and waited for Bashaar to translate. "She said 'You will be strong for this man. He is the brother of your soul'".  
  
Rick started in surprise. "He's what?"  
  
Bashaar said something to Zahrah and waited for her reply. "She says you are brothers of the soul. His ka and yours are the same."  
  
"My ka? What's that?"  
  
"Your spirit," Bashaar answered. He waited as Zahrah spoke further. "She asks if you have a brother." Rick shook his head. "No. I mean I did, but he died right after he was born."  
  
Zahrah asked another question. "Was this brother close to you in age?" she wanted to know.  
  
"He was my twin. I survived, he didn't." Rick was thoroughly puzzled but was certain he wasn't going to like where this was going.  
  
Zahrah then wanted to know when he was born and after some rapid dialogue back and forth between her and Bashaar, nodded as if agreeing with something he'd said.  
  
"What?" Rick asked, not sure he wanted to know.  
  
"She says that Ardeth is exactly ten months younger than you. His ka is that of your brother."  
  
"How the hell does she figure that?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
Bashaar laughed as did Zahrah and the old woman, and he hadn't even translated the question. Rick felt like the only one who didn't get a particularly funny joke. "They laugh," Bashaar told him, "because Ardeth Bey used the exact same words when they revealed this to him."  
  
Rick narrowed his eyes. This was getting a little too weird for his taste. And coming from a man who'd seen mummies attack not once, but twice in his life, that was saying something. It was Safiya who broke up the party. Rick didn't need a translator to tell him that she wanted to get going. So he shook off their words and held Ardeth down.  
  
For the next hour, the longest of Rick's life, they held Ardeth down while Safiya scraped minute traces of tissue from the open wounds. With each pass of the thin knife, Ardeth strained against his captors, his teeth clenched in agony, cries of pain catching in his throat. With each pass, his struggles grew weaker until, by the time Safiya had finished, he lay limp and unresponsive.  
  
When she'd finished, Safiya drew forth a vial from under her robes and uncorked the top, her lips moving in prayer. "With this," Bashaar explained quietly, "the final traces of filth will be burned away. If there is no residue left, the potion will do nothing. If there is anything in the wound, it will eat at it until it is consumed."  
  
"Does she have to do this now?" Rick asked desperately. "Can't she wait until he's stronger?"  
  
"Ah, my friend," Bashaar said sadly, whispering so as not to interfere with Safiya's prayers, "the infection will grow again, until the process has to be repeated. They are not of this world, these wounds. Remember that. My friend, Safiya is Ardeth's grandmother. If she could spare him this, she would. You see her going about this calmly. I assure you, she is crying inside. Ardeth Bey is the world to her. He is the world to us all."  
  
Rick nodded and looked closer at Safiya's face. Knowing what he now knew, he could see the anguish in her eyes. She ceased her prayers abruptly and looked to the two men beside her. "It is time."  
  
_ "Death is only the beginning."  
Imhotep_

_  
  
_Evelyn and Alex spent the afternoon trying to ignore what was going on across the pool from them. Evy had managed to coax Alex into taking a bath in the cool water and she'd gone for a brief swim herself. They'd helped Izzy work on the blimp some and had napped a little in the heat of the day. She wondered what was going on. Actually, she had an idea. Ardeth's occasional cries could be heard even here. Each time he cried out, she winced. Evy tried to look reassuringly at Alex whenever this happened but they both knew that Ardeth would be very lucky to survive the ordeal facing him. Toward dark, Evy decided that she'd busy herself cooking. She was just asking Alex what he'd like to eat when a terrible scream broke the stillness. "Ardeth!" she yelled and without a thought, she ran for the other side of the oasis, Alex right behind her. As she reached the spot where Safiya sat beside Ardeth, she stopped dead, aghast at what she saw.  
  
Ardeth lay still on the ground. She could tell from where she stood that he wasn't breathing, wasn't moving. Rick was sitting next to him, the still form clasped in his arms, his face crumpled in grief. Bashaar was on his knees, his lips moving in prayer. "Oh, no!" she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, God, no!" A sharp tugging on her sleeve caught her attention and she looked down. Alex stood next to her, his eyes wide in shock. His lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Finally he managed to squeak something intelligible. "Mum . . . Zahrah . . . look."  
  
Evy looked at where Alex was pointing. "What Alex? I don't see anything."  
  
Alex simply pointed. "There, Mum. There!"  
  
Evy squinted against the tears in her eyes and drew in a sharp breath. Zahrah stood over Ardeth. It was with a subconscious kind of surprise that Evy noticed her veil was gone and even more surprising was the fact that Zahrah's hair was not black but the color of moonglow. However, it was her hands that caught Evy's eye. Her hands were held out over Ardeth, palms down. In the air between her hands and Ardeth's chest was a light. It shimmered gold and red in the gathering darkness, like a piece of sunset caught by surprise. Evy knew, deep within her, that what she beheld was Ardeth's soul, hovering between this world and the next. It took her breath away like a punch to the stomach and she fell to her knees, unable to stand, unable to process what she was seeing. Zahrah's lips were moving and her eyes were wide open as if she was seeing something the others could not.  
  
Rick simply stared. This was too much. He couldn't take it all in. Ardeth was dead. As if from very far away, he heard someone call his name. "O'Connell." He ignored it. He didn't want to move, didn't want to hear or feel anything just now. His friend was gone, had died to save Alex. "O'Connell!" The voice grew more insistent and someone was pulling on his sleeve. "Give me your hand!" Rick looked up dazed. Safiya was grabbing at his hand, pulling it up from where it rested across the top of Ardeth's chest. Dazedly, not sure what she wanted, Rick gave her his hand. With a quick movement that surprised him, Safiya produced a sharp, jewel encrusted dagger from her robes. Rick recognized it as being Ardeth's. She drew the blade across Rick's palm. He flinched and tried to pull away but she held him with a strength he would not have thought possible from one so old. She squeezed the cut, allowing his blood to pour into each of the long gashes on Ardeth's chest. Where the blood fell, the wounds glowed red. Then she cut a similar gash along Ardeth's palm and pressed the two wounds together.  
  
No one moved. Everyone watched the strange scene playing out before them. Even the guards on duty had come running at Ardeth's cry and stood silently, not sure what was happening. When Rick's blood had flowed into each wound, a cry escaped Zahrah's lips and her hands clenched, the light that was Ardeth's soul caught within her fists. Her knees crumpled and she thrust her hands down, as if she fought against some great weight. Then, she opened her palms against Ardeth's chest and light vanished. Ardeth drew in a great gulp of air as if he'd been underwater too long and began, once more, to breathe.  
  
In that instant, the cut on Rick's hand burned hot for split second and he tried to pull away from the pain, but Safiya held fast. Only when the pain had diminished did she let go. Rick stared at his palm and wiped away a smear of blood. There was no trace of the deep cut. No scar, nothing. He looked down at Ardeth's hand laying palm up on the ground. There was no sign of the cut on him, either. A soft hand caressed his cheek. He dragged his eyes up to meet Zahrah's. If Rick hadn't already been dumbstruck by what he'd seen, he'd have sucked in his breathe in surprise. Zahrah's skin and hair were pure white. Her eyes were pale pink and she was clearly blind. "Now, you are truly brothers," she whispered with a smile, then she collapsed in a heap beside Ardeth.  
  
"I don't understand," Rick whispered.  
  
Safiya smiled at him. "Not all things can be explained," she said in English, and she called for light and began to stitch up the gaping wounds on her grandson's chest. Bashaar gently lifted Zahrah and carried her into the tent. When he returned, he touched Rick's shoulder. "I will help her," he said with a nod to Safiya. "Go to your wife and son."  
  
Rick lurched to his feet and stumbled over to Evy. He dropped to his knees in front of her, his shaking legs no longer able to support his weight. Evy cradled his head against her and held him tightly. "Evy. . . I don't understand." The words were trapped deed in his throat by unshed tears.  
  
Evelyn ran comforting hands over her husband's hair. "Shhh. It's alright. It's going to be alright. I don't understand either but it's over. It's all over."  
  
Her soft voice and warm touch was his undoing. With a strangled sob, he broke down. The events of the past week sending all his defenses crashing down. He'd lost his son and found him, then raced the sun itself to keep him alive. His wife had been killed and resurrected. He'd fought Imhotep again as well as the Scorpion King, and against all odds, won. He'd been reunited with the man who was most likely his best friend and then he, too, had died and been brought back. It was too much for a simple man like Rick O'Connell. He simply couldn't take anymore.  
  
To Evy's surprise, the Med-jai respected Rick as much in his weakness as they did in his strength. Helping hands, ones which Rick was oblivious to, brought them to a tent of their own, erected close by the first. Her husband was gently laid down on a cot where he quickly fell into an exhausted slumber. Lanterns were lit. Someone brought a tray of food and a pitcher of water. Then, the couple was left alone. Evelyn watched her husband sleep. Her hand swept the ever unruly lock of hair from his forehead and she kissed him. "Well, this has been quite the week, hasn't it, my love?" she said softly. Then she laughed quietly to herself and laid down beside him, sleep claiming her at last. She never heard the remaining members of Ardeth's troops join them, nor did she hear the small caravan that arrived after midnight. She slept deeply and dreamlessly for the first time in a long time. 


	4. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 4

Chapter Four - Dreams and Revelations  
  
Rick woke up slowly, every muscle in his aching body lax with sleep. He turned his face into the soft hand caressing his cheek and opened his eyes. Evy smiled down at him. "Hello there."  
  
"Hello," he mumbled. "What time is it?"  
  
"Just after noon, I'd imagine. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like I've been run over by a herd of camels. How's Ardeth?"  
  
"He's sleeping, that's all I know."  
  
Rick's forehead creased in a frown as he went over the night's events in his head. "Evy, what the hell happened out there last night?"  
  
His wife shook her head. "I'm not sure. I think Safiya can explain, though. She wants to see you when you're ready."  
  
Rick sat up and forced his tired legs over the edge of the cot. "I'm ready."  
  
Evy put a hand on his arm. "I think breakfast first, questions after. You haven't eaten in almost a day. Here," she handed him a tray of food. "Eat this and I'll see if Safiya's ready for us." She kissed him quickly and went outside, leaving Rick to his own thoughts.  
  
What the hell had happened last night? He couldn't remember. His palm flexed on it's own and he stared down at it, looking for answers in the unmarked flesh. Safiya had cut him, he thought. But there was nothing, no trace of a wound. Had he imagined it all? He ate mechanically as he sat staring into space, not tasting the food, just filling up the hole in his stomach. Evy was right, he needed to eat, even if he didn't feel hungry. He only wished that answers came as easily as chewing did.  
  
Before too long, the tent flap lifted and Evy poked her head in. "Ready?"  
  
Rick nodded and followed her outside. "Where's Alex?"  
  
"He's with Jonathan, helping Izzy get the balloon ready. Izzy's going to take Jonathan back to Cairo. Then he's going on home to fix things up before we get back. We did leave the house in a bit of a mess."  
  
"Where are we going?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"Wellllll," she said slowly, with a decided glint in her eye, "we've been invited to return with the Med-jai to the Garden City as their guests of honor. Since the Garden City is another place that isn't supposed to exist, I thought it might be fun to see it."  
  
Rick stopped walking and turned Evy to face him. "Honey," he explained patiently, "we haven't exactly had great luck with places that aren't supposed to exist. We always seem to end up running for our lives before our trip is over. And, I don't know about you, but I've had enough running for my life to last a while. A long while."  
  
Evy smiled affectionately and patted his arm. "This is different, Rick. The Garden City is supposed to be a wondrous place, a place of safety and haven for the Med-jai. I'm sure we'll be fine."  
  
Rick grunted. "Famous last words." Evy just kissed him again and smiled up at him like he was the biggest, bravest, handsomest man in the whole world. Rick felt himself melting, like he always did when she looked at him like that. Still, he would give it one last try. "I don't know, Evy..."  
  
"Rick," Evy's expression grew serious, surprising him. "Bashaar told me we are the first outsiders to be invited into the city in centuries. It is a very great honor. I know they wouldn't be insulted if we declined, given the circumstances, but . . . Oh, Rick! . . . I really want to see it! It may be our only chance!"  
  
Rick O'Connell looked into his wife's pleading eyes and knew he'd been had - again. He sighed. "Alright, alright. We'll go. But anything starts to get weird, we're outta there. Agreed?"  
  
Evy grinned. "Agreed. Now, let's go. Safiya is waiting."  
  
The interior of the tent was dim compared to the brightness of the outside, but not so dim that Rick couldn't make out the richness of the furnishings within. Thick carpets were laid over the sand. Large pillows trimmed in gold and silver braid lay scattered about. Lanterns rested on low, ornately carved tables or hung from the tent poles. A finely woven tapestry hung near the back, blocking off what Rick assumed was a sleeping area. Sitting in the center of the tent's common area was the old woman, Safiya. She smiled in welcome. Bashaar stood near her. He, too, smiled at them. "Welcome, O'Connell's."  
  
Rick nodded. "Hello, Bashaar, Safiya."  
  
"How is Ardeth?" Evy asked after greeting the others. "No one seemed to know much other than he was sleeping."  
  
Bashaar beamed. "He will be fine. Would you like to see him? He is very much, how you would say, "out of it", but you are welcome to look in on him if it will ease your minds." He gestured toward the tapestry. Evy took a hesitant step forward then turned to look at Rick. She pulled on his hand and he reluctantly came with her. Bashaar pulled the tapestry aside.  
  
Zahrah sat on the floor next to a large cot. She was fully veiled again but raised a hand in greeting. Evy wasn't sure, but thought she detected a smile behind the gauzy covering that hid her blind eyes. The sleeping area was dark. Bashaar must have realized they couldn't see much and reached behind them and grabbed a lantern. Light spilled into the room and Evy's breath caught in her throat. Beside her, Rick's intake of breath told her he had seen as well.  
  
Ardeth was indeed sleeping. Even from here, Evy could tell his was the sound sleep of the healing and not the deep unconsciousness of the very ill. His chest was bandaged once more, the white linen a stark contrast to his dark skin. However, it wasn't this that caused their surprise. Curled up against Ardeth's right side, head cradled on his outstretched arm, was the most beautiful child either of them had ever seen. She could have been any age from three to five. Long, black hair curled about her shoulders. Impossibly long eyelashes rested against cheeks still plump with the last vestiges of babyhood. Ardeth's chin rested against the top of her head and his arm was curled around her waist, protective even in his deep sleep.  
  
Evy turned questioning eyes to Bashaar who whispered "Azizah." Evy turned back to the child once again and simply stared. She should have known without Bashaar's confirmation that his was Ardeth's daughter. Her full lower lip and curling hair were blatant testaments to her parentage. Still, she was amazed at the sight of the fierce warrior, Ardeth Bey, sleeping peacefully with this tiny child. "Like the lion and the lamb," she thought. Evy shook her head in wonder and glanced up at Rick. He, too, seemed genuinely taken aback and raised an eyebrow at her look. Evy held a hand over her mouth to stifle a suddenly welling giggle and the two of them backed out into the tent's common room.  
  
Safiya began speaking as they returned and gestured for them to sit. "As you see, he is being looked after. Zahrah will call if he needs anything. Please, sit, be comfortable."  
  
"When did Azizah get here?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"Last night, after you slept, she arrived. It was right that she should be here, regardless of what happened with her father."  
  
"Isn't she a little young to be exposed to something like that?" Rick asked, a little horrified.  
  
Safiya shrugged. "We live a hard and dangerous life. We do not shelter our children from the truth of things. It is our way."  
  
It suddenly occurred to Rick that Safiya was speaking English. "How come you didn't speak English yesterday?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
Safiya nodded. "Ah, a very good question, O'Connell. I will tell you that Zahrah does not speak your language. Therefore, when we are working I speak so she will understand."  
  
Rick nodded, accepting her reasons. But he had more questions. "What happened last night? I don't remember much. I know Ardeth was dead. And I think you cut me, but there's no scar, no wound, nothing. What did you do to me?"  
  
The old woman looked at Rick, compassion in her eyes. "Before I tell you what you want to know, O'Connell, you must open your mind. You have seen many mysterious and wonderful things, questioned them and found answers for their existence in your mind. Now, you will hear of things that you will want to question, but will find no answer for. You could search a thousand years and still find no explanation for what I am about to reveal to you. However, if you accept as your heart's truth, you will be satisfied."  
  
Rick was confused, to say the least. "Heart's truth? What's that?"  
  
"Your heart is wise," she explained, "and more trustworthy than your mind. Your heart knows things to be truth that your mind cannot explain. Like the existence of God Allah. You cannot explain, nor prove, yet you know His existence to be truth."  
  
"What if I don't believe in God?" Rick countered, still trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about.  
  
Safiya smiled. "Perhaps another example, one that you will understand. Your love for Evahlyn. It is something your mind cannot explain. Yet it is truth."  
  
Rick jumped, startled. "How did you know . . ." He stopped and looked at Evy. She was grinning at him impishly, as if to say "Defy that one." Rick had to concede that Safiya had him on that one. "Alright, I understand what you're saying. I think."  
  
"Good," Safiya seemed satisfied with that. "Listen, then, and I will tell you what you desire to know." The old woman folded her hands and bowed her head a moment, as if in prayer. When she raised her eyes, they seemed to be glowing. Rick and Evy both felt a chill run down their spines.  
  
"As you journeyed here, I had a vision. Ardeth would be near death when he arrived and what had to be done would kill him. His death would be a terrible blow to the Med-jai, he means much to our people. I prayed for Allah to reveal to me how I might save my king. In another vision, it was revealed to me that Zahrah held the power over his life. I saw her holding his life in her hands. Then I did not know what the vision meant but I knew that she could restore his soul when the time came. All day I prayed upon this, waiting for a an answer. When you arrived, and no answer had come, I had no choice but to proceed, praying that it would be revealed to me in time. Then, Ardeth breathed his last, and Zahrah held his soul in her hands. By the light of his ka, the answer came to me. The blood of his brother would restore his soul."  
  
"And that's when you cut me?"  
  
"Yes. Your blood flowing into his body called out to the bond that was severed. When I joined your hands together, Ardeth's blood flowing into your body created the bond anew, bringing together two halves that were never meant to be apart."  
  
Rick was shaking his head. "I can't believe this. This is the most farfetched story I've ever heard. Ardeth Bey, the reincarnation of my twin? Not likely."  
  
"Wait a minute, Rick," Evy's thoughtful tone sent up warning flags in Rick's head.  
  
"Oh, come on, Evy! You aren't buying this, are you?" He looked into her eyes. "Christ! You are buying this! How can you believe this? It's ridiculous!"  
  
"Rick, listen to me! I've known several sets of twins in my life. Ones who'd spent their lives together, and ones who'd lost a twin. In each of the twins I knew who'd lost a twin, the surviving twin felt as if a part of themselves was missing. Some elemental aspect of their souls had been erased. When you were growing up, did you ever feel like that? Like there was some other part of you lacking somehow?"  
  
"Hell no, I never felt that way! I always felt whole or complete or whatever it is you're getting at."  
  
"Exactly!" Evy couldn't believe Rick couldn't see it. It was clear as day to her. "You didn't feel that way because your twin wasn't really gone. He was alive in Ardeth!"  
  
"Oh, come on! You can't be serious, Evy."  
  
"Rick, do you remember after Hamanaptra? After the first time we'd met Ardeth? You kept saying there was something familiar about him. I told you it was because he reminded you of yourself!"  
  
"What's that go to do with anything?" he demanded.  
  
"Rick! You and Ardeth, you're two peas in a pod." Evy began counting on her fingers. "Stubborn to fault. Brave to the point of stupidity. Noble beyond expectation. More loyal than a pack of St. Bernards. In a time when ordinary men are hard pressed to do the right thing, you two are extraordinarily single minded in your notion of what's right and wrong." Rick gritted his teeth. "That doesn't prove . . . This is ridiculous." He got to his feet began to pace the confines of the tent.  
  
Evelyn sighed. "I'm sorry, Safiya. He can be very stubborn."  
  
"I am familiar with the trait." Safiya's eyes were laughing.  
  
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," growled Rick from behind them. "I not some . . ." Rick didn't finish. A soft, lisping voice calling in Arabic from behind the tapestry cut him off. The curtain moved and Ardeth Bey's daughter stepped into the common area. She and Rick each stopped in their tracks at the sight of one another.  
  
"Ah, Azizah." Safiya said. "Come and meet our guests." The little girl sidestepped toward her grandmother, not taking her eyes off the tall American.  
  
Evelyn couldn't help but smile at Azizah's serious expression. "Hello, Azizah. I'm Evelyn O'Connell."  
  
Azizah turned to her, reluctantly, manners overcoming her obvious curiosity. "I am honored to meet you," lisped the little girl formally in English.  
  
"And this," Evy continued, indicating Rick," is Rick O'Connell, my husband.  
  
Azizah frowned, thoughtfully. "You are O'Connell?"she asked.  
  
"Yeah, kid. Nice to meet you," mumbled Rick, ignoring Evy's glare.  
  
"My father speaks of you.  
  
"I bet he does," Rick's temper didn't improve with this news. Evy could just imagine in what context Ardeth had spoken of her husband.  
  
Azizah nodded. In the way of the very young, she took his less than enthusiastic responses as interest. "When the elders speak of how O'Connell helped defeat the Creature, Babu rolls his eyes and says he could not have done it without him."  
  
Evy laughed then tried to stifle it when Rick glared at her. "Now, Rick," she cajoled, "I'm sure it's not like it sounds."  
  
"Even now, babu speaks of you. I heard him. That is what woke me up."  
  
Evy thought this was very interesting. "What did he say."  
  
"I am not certain," Azizah frowned. "I heard the name, O'Connell. But he must have been speaking of someone else. Your name is Rick?" The child was obviously puzzled. Rick nodded. "It was not you then. He was speaking of someone called David. I do not know anyone called David. Do you?"  
  
Rick didn't answer. He simply stared Azizah. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost and it scared him witless. Evelyn stood up, concerned. She reached out a hand. "Rick?" But she was too late. Rick had fled the tent.  
  
Evelyn stared after him for a moment, then turned to Safiya. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I'd better go and talk to him."  
  
"No!" Safiya's voice brooked no disobedience. "You must leave him be for time. He has much to ponder. Now, Azizah, it is time for you to go with Bashaar. He will see that you are fed."  
  
Azizah nodded slowly, still a little unsure as to what exactly had just happened, and held up her arms to the waiting warrior. He lifted her with a smile, and as they left, Azizah waved goodbye to Evelyn.  
  
Safiya sighed and watched them leave. "Even our most hardened warriors come when Azizah but beckons. She is most, what is your word?, ah, yes, spoiled." Her grin belied any real concern.  
  
"Bashaar certainly seems taken by her."  
  
"The warriors would die for her as they would for her father. Ardeth and Azizah are beloved by the Med-jai. They are our soul. I do not believe your husband understands how much we owe him. Now, you should go. I have kept you from your son too long."  
  
Evelyn stood at the polite dismissal. "Thank you for explaining what happened, Safiya. I will try and help Rick understand." She turned to leave. As she reached the tent flap, Safiya's voice carried to her.  
  
"He will understand. He is Med-jai. He only needs to listen to his heart and he will know."  
  
author's note: I believe the term for 'daddy' is 'baba' but since it's my story..... ;-) 


	5. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 5

Chapter Five - Brother of My Soul  
  
Rick left the tent at a run and didn't look back until he was as far from the oasis as his legs could carry him. The startled Med-jai had watched him go, and at a sign from Falhalil, two of them had followed, a distance behind, just to ensure his safety.  
  
Rick didn't know they were there. He didn't know anything beyond the need to get away from that tent for a time. When he couldn't run any farther, he fell to the sand on his knees. David. How in God's name had Ardeth known? He thought back as far as he could remember. The orphanage in Cairo had been his home since he was six, but the one old priest who oversaw the place had known him all his life. Father Duncan had known both his parents. He'd been the one who'd told Rick about his family. How his parents had died of fever. How his brother had died at birth and he'd survived. "You're the strong one, Richard," he'd told him again and again. "God has a special purpose for you, it's plain to see." He'd taken Rick to the cemetery where they were buried once. His father, mother and brother, all laid to rest together. Hell, the good father had buried all three of them. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could still see the small wooden marker.  
  
O'Connell  
Brian, beloved husband and father;  
Diedre, beloved wife and mother;  
David, beloved infant son.  
  
He shook his head as if to clear it. This was all getting way to weird. There was no way any of this could be. No way.  
  
And your son was never kidnaped by someone who died over three thousand years ago, your wife wasn't killed and the Book of Dead doesn't really raise spirits from the dead. It seemed his mind was in the mood to argue with him.  
  
"No!" he said aloud. "I don't believe it."  
  
What did Safiya say? Your heart knows? Well, your heart knows, O'Connell and you damn well know it.  
  
"It's impossible," he argued, getting angry with himself.  
  
So are mummies, but that didn't stop them from almost killing your best friend, now did it?  
  
"Reincarnation doesn't just happen."  
  
And Meela was just a nice girl with an asp and Evelyn just dreamed up all that stuff about Nefertiri.  
  
"We can't be brothers! We're nothing alike! He's arrogant, reckless, demanding, rude." Rick was shouting now, determined to win this fight with himself. "He looks before he leaps, he gives no consideration to the situation at all! He just barges in, guns blazing, and looks for answers when it's all done. He issues orders like he's some kind of general and expects everyone to just jump and obey!" A sudden, ironic truth dawned on Rick. "Oh my God! He's just like I am."  
  
"Do you still deny what you already know?" A voice behind him said quietly.  
  
Rick jumped and turned abruptly, ready to take on whomever had snuck up on him, but he was still alone.  
  
"You are what you have always been. This makes you nothing less. It only lets you know beyond all else that you are not alone. That you will never be alone." The voice echoed in his mind.  
  
It was not his own inner voice, it was someone else's. He shook his head hard and once again for good measure. Then, an idea began to form. Maybe, if he just listened to the voice, he could figure out what the hell was going on. He closed his eyes and concentrated.  
  
He wasn't kneeling in the sand anymore. He was sitting on horseback atop ridge that looked down into a lush, verdant valley. He could see more shades of green that he could possibly count and flowering trees in every color of the rainbow. High waterfalls splashed into complacent streams and pools of deep, azure water dotted the terrain. He couldn't believe it.  
  
"I am not entirely certain I wish to believe it myself." Rick turned and beside him was Ardeth Bey, looking not at him, but down at the splendid sight below. "After all, you are not only arrogant, rude, and demanding, you are also an American. That alone will be hard to reconcile." Rick wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the Med-jai's lips twitch, a ghost of a smile, fleeting then gone.  
  
"What the hell's going on here, Ardeth?" Rick demanded.  
  
Ardeth's horse stirred uneasily. "I am unsure. Perhaps Safiya knows more than she tells about what happened when our blood met." Ardeth turned and looked at Rick for the first time. "I think we both know what is truth, my friend, whether we like it or not is immaterial."  
  
Rick looked away and studied the sight stretching out before him. Ardeth was right. He did know the truth. But he wasn't ready to accept it. Not yet. So he did what he always did when he needed to stall for time. He changed the subject.  
  
"Where are we?" he asked, unable to keep the wonder from his voice. "It looks kinda that Ahm Shere place but nicer, prettier, more friendly."  
  
Ardeth did smile at that. "This is the Garden City." He couldn't keep the pride and longing from his voice. "My home."  
  
"You actually leave this place? For the desert?!"  
  
"When the Med-jai chose to invoke the Hom-dai, they knew that there was no longer any place for them in the world. Their oath to keep the Creature buried was a sentence of exile. They searched many years until they found this place. The Garden City is hidden from all eyes. It is deep within a mountain crevice and the ways in are known only to us."  
  
"But I thought you guys spent all your time at Hamanaptra."  
  
"There are always Med-jai guarding the forbidden city, but the time spent watching the city takes it's toll. One must be ever vigilant. The many clans each take their turn, then they return here to rest and wait their next turn to watch. And," he looked back out over the valley, a frown creasing his forehead," there are other places where our vigilance is needed. The City of the Dead is not the only place guarded by the Med-jai. There are many others. We are the only ones who stand guard over the evils of the past. The ancient curses are dismissed as legend. Only we have seen that the ancient evils live and must be kept hidden."  
  
Rick fell silent, thinking about all this. He looked out over the beautiful sight before him and suddenly knew, really knew, what kind of people the Med-jai were. Their oath to protect was one that went deep. It had to be to leave this paradise for the dangers and hardships of the desert. He began to see Ardeth in a different light. He looked at the tatoo on his wrist. Ardeth had said he was a protector of man, a Med-jai in spirit if not by birth.  
  
Ardeth must have sensed some kind of acceptance on Rick's part. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, his expression serious. "I will be honest with you, O'Connell. If I had to choose any one on this earth to be my brother, it would be you, my friend."  
  
Rick stared at the tattooed man beside him. Ardeth's eyes reflected his face back to him, and in looking closer, Rick saw his cheeks and forehead branded with the same marks that graced the Med-jai's. In that instant, he knew his heart's truth. He held out his hand. "Brothers."  
  
Ardeth reached for the offered hand but instead of shaking it, he hooked his thumb around Rick's and twisted his wrist upward, turning the handshake into a two-handed fist. "Brothers." He held Rick's hand in his own for a long moment, then released it. "Now I must go. I find that, even here, I am not yet strong."  
  
Rick realized with alarm that Ardeth was indeed tired. His shoulders slumped slightly and he was sweating as if he'd been exerting himself. The spiritual energy needed to maintain this link or whatever it was, was rapidly draining what precious little strength he had.  
  
"Go!" he ordered.  
  
Ardeth smiled. "I thought I was the one who ordered people about like a general. Next you'll be asking me if I think I am some kind of king" He turned to leave but not before his face split with a large, white grin at his his own joke, then he galloped off, laughter echoing behind him as he vanished. Rick made a face at his retreating back then looked back down into the valley below.  
  
"Evy's gonna love this place," he thought suddenly. He stared at the Garden City for a long time, thinking of all he had discovered about himself, about Ardeth, about what his heart's truth was really telling him. When, at last, he'd found some peace within himself, he let go.  
  
Rick opened his eyes, the desert surrounding him once more. He was still alone, and yet, deep down inside himself, he felt the presence of another. "Ardeth," he said to the sand around him, "you'd better wake up soon, buddy, because we have got a lot to talk about."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex watched his mother pace. Or, her equivalent of it, anyway. What she actually did was walk in circles around the tent, "sprucing up". Finally, after watching her fluff the same pillow for the fourteenth time, he asked her what was going on.  
  
"Hmm? What? Oh, Alex, I'm sorry. Could you repeat that? I'm afraid my mind was elsewhere."  
  
Alex rolled his eyes at the obviousness of her statement. "I asked you what the hell was..."  
  
"Language, Alex."  
  
"Sorry. What the heck was going on. And don't tell me 'nothing'. Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid."  
  
Evy sighed and looked fondly at her son. He was so much like his father. Half the time she didn't know whether to kiss him or strangle him. Instead of doing either of those, she sat down on the pillows and held out her hand. "Come here, Alex. We should talk about this. It does affect you, too, after all." Alex sat down across from her and waited.  
  
"A lot of it has to do with what happened last night. With Ardeth. I don't know how to explain it, exactly, but . . ."  
  
"Oh! You don't have to explain that, Mum. I know what happened."  
  
Evy's eyes widened. "You do?"  
  
"Sure!" Alex proclaimed, obviously excited. "Ardeth died and Zahrah caught his soul in her hands. Then Safiya used Dad's blood to bring him back and now they're blood brothers. It was really fantastic to watch!"  
  
Evelyn O'Connell stared at her son. It was certainly an accurate, and concise, version of the events. She realized that her mouth was hanging open but she couldn't quite bring herself to close it. "And you're fine with all this?" she managed after a moment. "I mean, it is rather odd, to say the least."  
  
Alex made a face. "Mum, I was kidnaped by a three thousand year old mummy, saw visions of ancient places spouting from my wrist, was chased by pygmy skeletons and brought you back from the dead. How much 'odder' could this possibly be?"  
  
"You do have a point there," Evy agreed. "But there's more. It seems that Ardeth is the reincarnation of your father's twin brother." She waited for him to digest this. It didn't take long. "Is that supposed to surprise me?"Alex asked. "I mean, it's not like he and Dad are at all alike or anything." His gentle sarcasm was well put.  
  
Evy laughed and pulled her son to her. "You are amazing, Alex O'Connell. Do you know that? And I'm very proud of you. You have proven beyond a doubt that you aren't a child anymore. You're truly a young man."  
  
Alex brightened and pulled away from her. "Does that mean I don't have to go to bed early anymore?"  
  
"No. But it does mean that you are capable of adding some real input into the decisions we make. So, I'll let you make your first one now. We've been invited to the Garden City, it's the secret home of the Med-jai. Do you want to come? Or do you want to go home with Uncle Jonathan?"  
  
Her son put a hand on his chin, as if he was considering very carefully. "Well. If I come with you, I can learn more about the Med-jai. They are very interesting. On the other hand, if I go with Uncle John, he can take me to those places he's always hinting about when you're not around. That could be fun, too." Evy drew an indignant breath, about to say something, when she realized that her son was toying with her.  
  
She scowled. "You are just like your father, you know that?"  
  
Alex laughed. "Dad says the same thing, only he says I'm just like you."  
  
Evy hugged him again, tickling his ribs. "Well, what's it going to be? Garden City or Uncle John's forbidden dens of sin?"  
  
Alex squirmed and giggled, trying to get away. "Uncle John's . ." He couldn't finish, Evy was tickling him harder.  
  
"I'm sorry, you were about to say?"  
  
He squealed and laughed until tears ran down his face. "Uncle John's . . ."  
  
She tickled him even harder, reaching into the delicate spots under his arms. "You were saying?"  
  
"Garden City! Garden City!" Alex cried, giving in under the pressure of her assault. Evy stopped and grinned down at where he lay, gasping helplessly. "I knew you'd make the right choice."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rick sat quietly beside the oasis' pool, staring at his own reflection. Since he returned, no one had bothered him, his need to be alone radiating out of him like a silent wall. So it was with no small amount of surprise that Rick realized his reflection had grown another head. He raised his eyes and looked at the one who had intruded upon his thoughts.  
  
Azizah stared back at him. Her coffee colored eyes, so much like Ardeth's, regarded him closely. She didn't seem to mind that he was practically glaring at her, willing her to go away. She simply stood there and watched him watching her. Then, unexpectedly, as if she found something in him he hadn't seen, she smiled. A bright grin that was missing the top two teeth.  
  
Rick fell like a ton of bricks. He grinned back. Without hesitation, Azizah planted herself on his lap. "Are you my father's brother now?" she asked.  
  
Rick sighed. "Yes, I guess I am."  
  
"I am glad," she said simply. "Father needs someone he can talk to."  
  
Rick looked down at this child who was wiser than her years. "How old are you?"  
  
"I am four. I will be five in two months. Babu says I may have my own horse!" Azizah's obvious joy made Rick smile even more.  
  
"Aren't you a little young for your own horse?" he asked playfully.  
  
"Oh, no," she answered seriously. "I can ride very well. I would have had my own horse sooner but Babu was waiting for Sirocco to sire one off of Ameerah. He said that a princess should have a princess's horse." She beamed at him, oblivious to the fact that Rick had no idea what she was talking about.  
  
"Sirocco? Who's that?" Rick asked, trying to sort out the names she just rattled off.  
  
"Sirocco is Babu's horse. He has a curly black mane, just like Babu, and he is very strong. I think he is stronger than Babu though," she whispered, as if this were a great secret. "Babu says he is the best horse he has ever had."  
  
Rick was beginning to get the picture. "And Ameerah? That's another horse? A girl horse?"  
  
Azizah nodded. "Oh yes. Ameerah is beautiful. She is all black, too, but her mane is straight. Her name means princess."  
  
"And what does your name mean?"  
  
"Grandmother says it means 'cherished' but Babu says it means 'trouble'." Rick laughed. He couldn't help it.  
  
Azizah laughed with him, not sure why, but she liked his laugh. "You are funny," she announced. "You laugh like Babu."  
  
Rick's eyebrows raised. "Your father laughs?"  
  
"Oh, yes," she assured him. "He laughs often when he is at home. But many times he is not home. He guards the City of the Dead."  
  
The little girl in his arms saddened and it almost broke Rick's heart. "I'm sure your daddy, your Babu, would be with you more if he could. He loves you very much." Azizah sighed. "Yes, I know." She looked around as if making sure they were alone. She beckoned Rick closer. "Can I tell you secret?" she asked very seriously. Rick assured her she could. "I am a little bit glad that my Babu got hurt because now he can come home for a long time. I do not want him to be hurt but when he is, he comes home. Is that very wicked of me?"  
  
Rick studied the earnest little face, noticed the tears forming in her eyes. He hugged her close and shook his head. "No. It's not wicked of you."  
  
That was all the encouragement she needed. With a sob she clutched at him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I miss him when he is away," she wailed. "I want to go with him but he says it is not safe, I must stay home." Rick rubbed his hands along Azizah's back, comforting her as best he could, murmuring soothing words. Finally, she calmed and relaxed against his chest. "Do you know what?" she yawned. "When I am older I will be a warrior, too, and then I will go with him into the desert. Then, my Babu will never be hurt. I will keep him safe. Will you help me?" she asked, gazing up at Rick with her innocent eyes.  
  
"I'll try," he promised. "I'll try."  
  
With Bashaar's help, Evy found Rick some time later sitting in the shade, leaning back in against a rock, Azizah in his arms. Both of them were sound asleep. Evy sighed, contented. Everything was going to work out. She could feel it.

The next three days went by at a slow, relaxing pace. Jonathan had ventured off with Izzy for Cairo and he promised to go straight home and set things to rights. Bashaar was teaching Alex to ride better and he was a quick student. Rick and Evy spent a lot of time with Alex, exploring the desert around them, letting their son set the direction they ventured in. Often, Bashaar would go with them, guiding them to hidden caves and secret caverns. Azizah went with them, too. Showing that she was indeed an accomplished rider, she rode a small horse, not much smaller than Alex's mount, with the skill of one who was practically born to the saddle.  
  
The only dark spot of these days was that Ardeth had yet to awaken. Evy and Rick were getting worried, despite Safiya's claims that this was to be expected. Each day they waited for news that he'd finally opened his eyes but nothing had happened yet. Rick couldn't help but wonder if Ardeth's subconscious visit took too much out of him. He suspected Safiya knew what had happened, he'd caught her looking his way once or twice with questions in her eyes. He buried the knowledge of what had passed between Ardeth and him deep, lest the confession of what they'd done should burst out of him like it did Alex when he'd done something wrong and couldn't hide it any longer. He avoided Safiya's gaze and avoided her personally whenever possible. For some reason, though, every time he skirted her she laughed.  
  
It was only in the deep hours of the night, when Evelyn and Alex slept soundly, that he allowed the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him come to the surface. Had he somehow forced Ardeth to endure contacting him because of his reluctance to accept what had transpired between them? Finally, by the third day, he couldn't stand it any longer. He quietly left his sleeping wife and son and sought out the man who was his brother.  
  
Bashaar gave no indication that Rick's midnight visit was anything but normal. He nodded and held the tent flap aside, allowing Rick entry. The tent was dark, only a small lantern burned on the center table. Safiya and Azizah were sleeping close together in the corner. Rick walked carefully toward the tapestry and reached to open it.  
  
"One moment, my friend," Bashaar stopped him then went into the sleeping area. He emerged a moment later with Zahrah, speaking quietly to her in Arabic. She nodded and left the tent. Bashaar smiled at Rick and held open the curtain.  
  
A small lamp burned in here as well, making this room somewhat brighter. Ardeth lay quietly, his deep even breathing the only indication that he was, indeed, still alive. Rick sat next to the cot and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"Ardeth, buddy - brother - you've gotta wake up. You're worrying Evy no end and you know what a mother hen she is. And Alex has been on my case for days about learning how to use a scimitar. He said you told him you'd show him how. Azizah's been shadowing me all over the place and, not that she's not a sweet kid and all, but she's always falling asleep in my lap and she drools when she sleeps and Alex is way past that stage so I'd appreciate it if you'd wake up and let her drool on you for a while."  
  
Rick sighed deeply and rested his head on his knees. After a long time, he spoke again.

"Actually, I want you to wake up, too. I feel like it's my fault you're still out of it. I mean, if you hadn't done that - whatever it was you did - in the desert, you might have been up and around by now. I hate to think that I'm responsible for this after all you've done for me. For my family. You know, I don't know what I'd have done without you. I never could've pulled off that stunt in the oasis if you weren't there. I'm not very good at saying 'thanks', you know that, but - thank you. For helping Evy and me."  
  
"You do not need to thank me." The voice was hoarse, disused, and definitely Ardeth's. Rick looked up and saw his friend's eyes reflecting the lantern light. Rick grinned. "Hey, there, buddy. How ya feeling?"  
  
"I am feeling disturbed that the first person I see when I awake lately is you."  
  
Rick grinned at him. "And you think you're a prize to see first thing in the morning? I'd much rather see Evy. She's a hell of a lot prettier, that's for sure."  
  
Ardeth laughed. It was rusty and dry but a laugh nonetheless. He clasped his left arm against his side. "Do not make me laugh," he begged breathlessly, "it hurts."  
  
Rick continued to grin. "Seriously, how do you feel? You gonna be okay?"  
  
Ardeth nodded. "I will be fine. I am sore. My chest hurts. I feel about as strong as a day old kitten. Other than that. . ."  
  
"Well, that's not bad considering the alternative." Rick pointed out.  
  
The Med-jai laughed again and winced. "You are right, O'Connell." He ran his tongue over dry lips. "Could I have some water?"  
  
Rick looked around and saw a water pitcher and several cups on a nearby table. He put an arm under Ardeth's head and lifted him enough so he could drink. "Easy," he warned. "Small sips. There ya go." When Ardeth had drunk his fill, Rick lowered him back down.  
  
"Azizah is a remarkable child," Rick remarked. "She has a lot of you in her."  
  
Ardeth smiled, a full genuine smile. "She is my heart and soul. But she is well endowed with her mother's traits as well, Allah be praised."  
  
Rick couldn't agree more. "Alex is the same way. A little of me, a little of Evy. It's a scary combination sometimes."  
  
"It is that, my friend."  
  
"Ardeth," Rick was finally able to phrase the question he wanted answered. "What happened when I was in the desert. How did you do that thing you did? How did you contact me?"  
  
The Med-jai frowned. "I am not entirely sure. I think it is the bond we have forged. I do not know how I found you, I just did. Perhaps it is not unlike when Azizah hurts herself and I know that she is hurt before anyone can tell me. Or when I knew that Iman was in danger. Has that happened with you?"  
  
"Yeah, it has. With both Evy and Alex." Rick chewed his lower lip, unsure whether he should ask his next question. "Ardeth, will you tell me about your wife? I would like to know."  
  
Ardeth smiled slightly. "I would be honored to tell you."  
  
The two men spent the next hour telling each other about their lives. Each finding similarities they hadn't know existed. That progressed to stories of their equally wild and reckless youths. In the middle of telling Ardeth a about the bank job he and Izzy had tried to pull off, Rick realized that Ardeth had fallen asleep. Rick covered him up with a light blanket and stared down at the man who was his brother. He eventually left the tent and returned to his wife, satisfied that tomorrow would be a better day.


	6. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 6

Chapter Six - Bedtime Stories  
  
For several days after waking up, Ardeth did little beyond eat, sleep, and try to regain his strength. This was encouraged by everyone from little Azizah on up to Safiya but was not something he was terribly happy about. Still, he knew from past experience that healing took rest and food. Eventually, he could walk across the tent without assistance, then out to the pool. Within a week he was walking around, stiff and sore, but without help.  
  
Two days after he'd been up and around, he sent word to the O'Connell's that he wanted to see them when they came back from one of their desert excursions. They found him standing on the edge of the oasis, his eyes to the west as darkness fell.  
  
"It is time we returned to my home," he said before they could speak. "I have been away far too long as it is." He turned to them then and they could see the longing in his dark eyes.  
  
"Is it far?" asked Alex. He'd been hearing about the Garden City from Azizah and Bashaar and he couldn't wait to see it.  
  
Ardeth smiled. "Not so far. Several days journey at most."  
  
"I can't wait. Is it as beautiful a place as the name suggests?" Evy wondered.  
  
"Yes." Rick and Ardeth assured her at the same time. Then they both chuckled. Evy looked at Alex and he just shrugged. He had no idea what the joke was either. "What's so funny?" she asked. Rick just put an arm around her shoulders. "I'll tell you later."  
  
"Now, my friends, I want to show you something," Ardeth looked once again to the horizon. He pointed to a bright star, gleaming where the sky was just beginning to darken from violet to azure. "Do you see this star?" he asked. The O'Connell's nodded.  
  
"This star will guide you to the Garden City from wherever you are in Egypt. Watch." Ardeth held up his right arm and pulled the robes back, exposing his wrist. He made a fist, palm down, and held it up. "Alex, come here." He placed the boy in front of him and moved his head slightly so that his eyes sighted down his hand. "Follow the center mark on my wrist. Do you see the star?"  
  
Alex nodded. "Yes. It's pointing right toward it."  
  
"Now, follow the mark directly to it's left. Do you see that other star? Not so bright?" Alex nodded again, squinting to see the pale glow Ardeth was talking about. "At this time in the year, these two stars will always be at this point on the horizon at sunset. Follow the star to the left and you will find the Med-jai city."  
  
Alex stared at the star then at Ardeth's wrist. A light dawned in his eyes. "Your tatoos! They're a compass!"  
  
Ardeth smiled. "They are, Alex. And with these marks I can always find my way home." Evy was impressed. "That's amazing! I would have never thought of that."  
  
Rick was nodding in agreement. "Very nice. Better than a compass. Harder to lose."  
  
"Indeed. Now, once we begin our journey, I will show you how to use the marks to locate other places it will important for you to find."  
  
"Like Hamunaptra?" Evy asked.  
  
Ardeth nodded and indicated his wrist. "With these marks to guide me, I will always be able to find my way." He turned away again, looking back at the stars, and was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, it was in a hushed voice the three of them had to strain to hear. "When we return to the Garden City, it would honor me if you would consent to bear these marks upon your wrists. I do not ask this of you lightly. To be marked so is a sign to all that you are of the Med-jai. It is an honor rarely bestowed upon any who were not born of our clan. It is a sign to any that know it's meaning that you are protectors of mankind. It also means that wherever you go you will find those who will offer you sanctuary in times of need. Throughout the world there are those who respect our calling. They are found everywhere if you know where to look."

Ardeth shifted restlessly where he stood and looked northwest as if staring at something only he could see. "There is something coming. The scale of which no one will be able to comprehend. It is not an ancient evil. It is new, powerful. We have felt it stirring for some time now. I cannot help but feel that we will all be drawn into it's web." He looked at the them, his face masked in shadow. "Think on this, my friends." Then he left them, returning to the brightness of the camp.  
  
"Wow!" Alex breathed after a moment. "That is so. . . so . . ."  
  
"Necessary." Rick's tone made both and Evy and Alex look at him in surprise. "I know what it means now," he said as he stared into the same horizon that drew Ardeth's eyes but moments before, "what Ardeth's been trying to tell me. He was right when he said it was my destiny. Those marks will ensure that no matter where we are, we will always find haven. And something is happening somewhere. I can feel it, too."  
  
Evy and her son stared at Rick for a few moments. Evy couldn't digest it all. Her doubting Thomas was becoming a believer before her eyes. "Are you saying that Ardeth was right all along?"  
  
Rick nodded. "There's something I haven't told you. It didn't seem important at the time. We were intent - I was intent - on rescuing you then Alex." Rick grasped her gently by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, willing her to understand. "When Ardeth and I were coming to rescue you, he noticed the tatoo on my wrist. He said that it meant that I was a protector of man, a warrior of God. I didn't want to believe it. Then with what happened with you and the visions and all I began to wonder. In Ahm Shere, in the pyramid, I saw the tatoo on a cartouche showing how to defeat the Scorpion King. It's what told me that scepter thing of Jonathan's was a spear." He dropped his arms and looked away again. "I can't deny this anymore, Evy. Coincidence can only explain so much."  
  
To his great surprise and relief, Rick was suddenly encompassed in two pairs of arms, Evy's around his neck, Alex's around his waist. "It's about time you figured it out! Honestly, Alex and I didn't think you've ever realize what was going on." Rick was, to say the least, rather astonished at this. "What do mean you and Alex? Is there something going on that I should know about?"  
  
Evy smiled. "Well, we've been talking. . ."  
  
"Yeah, Dad. We thought for sure you'd deny it all your life."  
  
"Deny what?"  
  
"That you are Med-jai!" they exclaimed at the same time.  
  
Rick was aghast. "How did you know?  
  
"How could we not, Dad? It's obvious to everyone but you. Even Uncle John mentioned it before he left for Cairo. He said Ardeth had spoken to him on the trip to Ahm Shere, told him that you were headed for your destiny but didn't see it."  
  
"And, Rick, if Jonathan can notice it . . ." Evy left the sentence unfinished.  
  
"I'm an idiot." Rick announced casually.  
  
His wife and son smiled. "Sometimes," she agreed.  
  
"But you're still a terrific Dad," Alex volunteered.

The next day they moved out of the oasis that had been their home for over a week and set out for the Garden City. Every night at dusk, Ardeth would show them a different star to use as reference for different places they would need to find. From Hamanaptra to Cairo, they could find anything using the stars and the wrist compass. "Every Med-jai child is taught to find these stars. Even Azizah knows her way. When she is of age, she will receive the tatoos that will find her home from anywhere she may travel."  
  
Alex was very curious. Since Ardeth had mentioned the tatoos, he'd wanted one in the worst way. He felt that the way of the Med-jai was calling him as well and he wanted to prove himself worthy of Ardeth's respect. "How old is 'of age'?" he asked.  
  
"When a child reaches the age of thirteen they receive their first tatoo in a ceremony marking their passage from childhood into maturity, those on the wrist. As each year passes, they will receive others. When a boy reaches his sixteenth year, he will wear the marks on his face as a sign of his manhood. As a sign that he is a Med-jai warrior."  
  
Alex's face fell. "Oh," he said softly, unable to hide his disappointment.  
  
"However," Ardeth said solemnly as he placed a hand on Alex's head, "if a child should prove worthy of this honor before they are of age, the ritual may be performed early. Now if you will excuse me, Azizah is waiting." "Bedtime stories, Ardeth?" Rick asked teasingly.  
  
Ardeth smiled. "Some things are the same even here," he answered.  
  
"Curses and evil legends tonight?" Evy teased.  
  
"Oh, no," Ardeth replied with all seriousness, "I have told Azizah none of that until she is five."  
  
Evy took a deep breath as if to say something, then realized that Ardeth was teasing her.  
  
"Babu! Babu!" Azizah called in warning just before launching herself into her father's arms. Ardeth caught her and lifted her high above his head. She squealed in delight and indignation. "Babu! You will hurt yourself! I am too heavy for you to lift until you are healed. Grandmother said so. You must put me down!"  
  
"You are not heavy," Ardeth assured her, then he groaned dramatically and fell on his back in the sand. "You weigh no more than Sirocco." Azizah punched him in the arm, saying something to him in their native language which made him chuckle and her giggle. "Now why are you not in bed?" he asked when she'd stopped giggling.  
  
"I was waiting for you to come and you did not," she said as if this fact was as plain as day.  
  
"I see. Well, I am coming now." Ardeth lifted her off of him and stood up, shaking the sand off his robes. When he'd finished, he lifted his daughter and perched her on his hip.  
  
"I want to hear the story of the brave prince and the beautiful princess," she commanded.  
  
"Ah. That bedtime story," sighed Evy, remember herself at that age.  
  
"Oh, yes!" the child replied joyously. "It is my favorite. But it is very sad. The princess dies and leaves her prince alone with their child."  
  
Evy glanced at Ardeth and saw a shadow of old sorrow play, for an instant, over his features. "Is this prince very brave and handsome?" she kidded.  
  
Azizah frowned and thought this over for a moment. "He is as brave and handsome as my Babu."  
  
Evy smiled at her. "And that's as it should be."  
  
"Hey! What about me?" Rick interjected, tugging on one of Azizah's long curls.  
  
Azizah studied him very closely. "You are very brave, but not as handsome as my Babu, Uncle O'Connell," she announced firmly. "But Aunt Evy says that you are . . . are . . ." Her tiny brow furrowed as she thought. Suddenly, she brightened, not realizing that Evy was trying to wave her off from behind Rick. "Adequate!" She pronounced the word very carefully. "Aunt Evy says you are adequate and that is almost as good as handsome!"  
  
To the shock and delight of all the O'Connell's, Ardeth threw back his head and laughed. A hearty, rolling laugh that came from deep within and they couldn't believe their ears. This is something they never would have expected from Ardeth Bey, despite Azizah's assurances that he did, indeed, laugh.  
  
"Babu, what is so funny?" the child demanded.  
  
"Someday, my sweet, I will tell you," he answered when he could catch his breath. "But for now you must say goodnight. It is time for bed."  
  
"Goodnight, Alex and Aunt Evy and Uncle O'Connell," she replied dutifully as Ardeth carried her back to the camp, his laughter continuing as he walked away.  
  
Alex surveyed his parents and decided, based upon the way his father was looking at his mother, that he'd better make his exit now. "I'm ... a .... going to go listen to Ardeth's story," he said hurriedly and ran toward the tents.  
  
Rick approached Evelyn slowly, a gleam in his eye. "Adequate?" he asked quietly. "I'm adequate?"  
  
Evy put her hands in front of her as she backed away, trying to ward him off. "Now, Rick, I couldn't very well tell that child that you were more handsome than her father. It's just not done."  
  
Her husband wasn't so easily placated. "Adequate?" he asked again.  
  
Evy tripped over something and stumbled, falling on her backside into the sand. She looked up at her menacing husband and her lips quirked into a sly smile. "Perhaps 'adequate' isn't quite what I should have said. Maybe average would have been better?" Rick began to crouch down toward her. "Slightly above average?" Evy tried to slither backward without much success.  
  
"I'll show you slightly above average," Rick warned just before he pounced. He tickled her, enjoying the feel of her squirming beneath him. Then he bent down and kissed her and Evy's laughter faded into the desert night.  
  
"Rick!" she breathed. "Not here! Someone will see us."  
  
Her husband grinned at her, his smile white in the burgeoning moonlight. "No one will see us. We will be left completely and utterly alone. I guarantee it."  
  
"How can you be sure?"  
  
Rick pressed her down onto her back. He guided her hand to the cloth that lay beneath her. "Because," he explained quietly, "my brother left this. And he will make sure that no one disturbs us."  
  
Evy stared at him. She couldn't believe her husband had actually conspired with Ardeth to arrange this tryst. She wanted to be horrified, but she couldn't. It had been too long. She simply smiled her acceptance and, as Rick's mouth descended on hers once again, reminded herself to thank her brother-in-law.


	7. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 7

Chapter Seven - The Garden City  
  
"There. That is where we are going."  
  
Evy gazed at the small mountain range that Ardeth was pointing to. From where they sat resting the horses it looked barren and forbidding. "That's the Garden City?" Alex asked, his voice betraying the doubt in Evy's mind.  
  
Ardeth smiled. "No, my young friend. The Garden City is within the mountain. You cannot see it from here. You cannot see it from anywhere but above."  
  
"How far is it?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"By nightfall we will be at the base of the mountain. We will spend this night in the caves and refresh ourselves before entering the city tomorrow."  
  
True to his word, they reached the foot of the central mountain an hour before sunset. Ardeth led them up steep trails of rock until they reached a shallow canyon that was all in shadow. He called for Alex. "The entrance to the caves that surround the city is here. Can you see it?"  
  
Alex looked around. "I don't see anything but rock walls," he admitted, a little disappointed.  
  
"Your eyes can deceive you, Alex. Close them. Look again using your other senses," Ardeth suggested gently.  
  
Alex did as he was told and closed his eyes. He wasn't quite sure what the Med-jai was getting at but he trusted him enough to listen. "Listen to the very air around you," Ardeth said very softly. "Smell it. Feel how it touches your skin. Find that which is different and you will find your way."  
  
Alex sat absolutely still and concentrated. At first, there was nothing but the sounds of the caravan quietly waiting behind them. He shivered slightly. The canyon was cold compared to the desert. He turned his head slowly, breathing in the smells. His nostrils flared as he caught the scent of something different. He breathed deeper. "Water!" he whispered. "I smell water!" His eyes were still closed so he didn't see Ardeth smile at his parents.  
  
"What else, Alex?" the Med-jai prompted.  
  
A touch of breeze, warmer than the air around him. Alex turned his head until he could feel it blowing on his face. He opened his eyes and urged his horse forward slightly. He scanned the area he thought the smell and warm air was coming from but all he saw were rock walls. "I smell water and there's warmer air coming from somewhere but I can't see anything," he called over his shoulder. Ardeth rode up next to him and dismounted, then motioned for Alex to dismount as well. He led the boy forward so that they stood but yards from the canyon wall.  
  
"The entrance is here. You can feel it. You can smell it. Now, can you find it?" He smiled at Alex, a challenge in his eyes. "You are doing very well Alex. You must begin to let go of those things which are tangible and learn to find that which is hidden by other means."  
  
Alex nodded, he thought he understood. He stepped forward cautiously, turning his head this way and that, trying to rediscover the path of warm, fragrant air. Another ten feet forward and he felt it brush his cheek. He turned toward his left. There was nothing there but shadow. He walked forward then hesitated.  
  
"Trust yourself, Alex," he heard Ardeth say from behind him. "Your instincts are your greatest tool."  
  
Alex moved forward again. He closed the distance between himself and wall until he was within twenty feet. He squinted against the darkness, his gut telling him there was something there. He turned his head slightly to one side and gave a whoop. "That's amazing!" he shouted, turning toward Ardeth. "Bloody amazing! You'd never see it, not in a million years!" And with that he began to run straight toward the wall. Evy and Rick, who had dismounted while Alex was looking around, ran forward. "Alex!" Rick yelled. "Stop!"  
  
"You're going to run into the wa. . ." Evy's voice caught in mid word. Alex hadn't hit the solid rock with a thud. He'd simply disappeared into it. Ardeth laughed and applauded, the Med-jai joining him. Rick could hear Bashaar whooping and Azizah cheering. He stepped forward carefully, looking in the direction his son went. He reached Ardeth's side. "Where did he go?" he asked.  
  
Ardeth motioned him to follow and they walked toward the rock. Rick felt the warm air and smelled the water but, unlike his son, he didn't see anything. Evy came around from behind him and took the lead, her hands reaching forward as she reached the wall. Suddenly, she gasped in amazement and turned to Rick and Ardeth. "It's incredible!" she exclaimed. "Rick, do you see it?" Her husband shook his head. "Turn your head to one side," she suggested. Rick did as she asked and out of the corner of his eye saw what had impressed them. He turned back and stared at the opening.  
  
The opening itself was ten feet wide and fifteen feet high, the space from the opening to the rock wall behind was about another ten feet, he guessed. The back wall of opening was colored and textured exactly like the wall surrounding it on either side. An optical illusion presenting itself as a solid wall, rendering it invisible unless you knew exactly what you were looking for. He grinned at his brother. "That's something else," he admitted. "How did you guys do that?"  
  
"Ancient Med-jai secret," Ardeth intoned solemnly.  
  
Rick guffawed. "Yeah, right. In other words, you have no idea."  
  
Ardeth grinned and shrugged. "Unfortunately, not all of our knowledge has been preserved. It is enough to know that it is as it is. Now, come, let me show you our mountain."  
  
Rick and Evy followed him into the entrance. The interior was dim and unlit but Ardeth guided them through as surely as if it had been illuminated by hundreds of torches. "We have light farther on," he explained, "but it must be far enough along the passageway that the light will not spill out into the entrance." "Where's Alex?" Evy wondered aloud.  
  
"I would imagine he's stopped at the edge of the cavern," Ardeth replied.  
  
"Cavern, huh?" Rick mumbled. "I hope it's bigger than this place." The darkness and confining feel of the tunnel was beginning to bother him. He didn't know why it should. It wasn't like he'd been in thousands of passageways smaller than this over his lifetime. Most of the time it had no effect. Today, after being in the open desert for so long, it was making him a bit claustrophobic.  
  
"It is somewhat bigger," Ardeth said wryly. Rick frowned at his tone. It was almost as if Ardeth was teasing him about something. A glow ahead let Rick know that the torches were close. Evy saw it too and they hurried their pace now that they could see better. They saw a small figure outlined in torchlight ahead. Alex O'Connell stood stark still in front of them.  
  
"Alex?" Evy was troubled by her active son's lack of movement. "Are you okay?"  
  
Alex didn't turn, didn't speak. He only motioned them forward with his hand. Rick and Evy stepped forward, blinking in the sudden brightness. When their eyes adjusted to the light, they froze in their tracks and stared at what had transfixed their son.  
  
Laid out before them was an enormous cavern of white rock. It was easily the size of one of the ancient temples they'd explored. Huge stalactites hung from the ceiling, sparkling in the glow of the campfires that lay burning below where they stood. Red, gold, green, blue, every color imaginable reflected in glittering splendor from the hanging giants above them. Even the walls themselves sparkled with the rainbow of colors.

Spread out below them were a hundred campfires, at least. Cushions and bedrolls lay near the fires, creating small room like areas. Several people went about busily tending fires and, in one section of the cavern, where a larger cooking fire burned, women were preparing food. Dozens of exits led out of the main chamber in every direction.  
  
"Welcome to the Gateway," Ardeth said quietly after a moment. The O'Connell's turned their amazed looks on him. He smiled. "This is the main entrance into our mountain. It is here we will rest and prepare to enter the city in the morning."  
  
"Main entrance? There are others like this?" Alex asked, his voice squeaking in excitement.  
  
"Other entrances, yes, but none like this. They are all much smaller." A shout interrupted them as they were finally spotted by the people below. Ardeth yelled a greeting and waved at the people below who were all rushing forward in anticipation of their arrival.  
  
"Come," Ardeth said to his friends and he led them down a wide, open staircase that was carved out of the rock to either side of the ledge they stood on. Evy held tight to Rick's arm as they descended the steep stairs. The drop at the side of the stairway facing the cavern was a hundred feet or more and she stayed as close to the wall as she could. Ardeth was seemingly unaware of the drop and he descended quickly, Alex at his side. At the bottom, Ardeth disappeared in a sea of arms waiting to embrace him.  
  
At the bottom of the staircase, the O'Connell's waited silently as Ardeth greeted his people. His laughter carried high above them into the cavern's ceiling. Rick and Evy exchanged looks. This was definitely a different side of their friend. After a few moments, Ardeth turned and smiled at them, motioning them forward. "Come, my friends! Come!" He said something in his native tongue to his people. The gathered throng cheered and before they knew it, Rick and Evy were caught up in the embrace of dozens of people. Alex was hoisted into the arms of many adoring women who kissed him and clucked over him in the universal language of women confronted with an adorable child.  
  
"What did you tell them?" Evy asked breathlessly after a few moments.  
  
"I only told them you were the ones who twice defeated the Creature," Ardeth said innocently, his eyes twinkling. "And I may have mentioned that you saved my life."  
  
Rick's eyes promised revenge as he was swept into yet another bear hug by a stranger. Ardeth laughed at his discomfiture and his eyes shone bright with happiness. He was home and his family had accepted his friends as their own. A shout from above caught his attention and he saw the rest of the caravan making their way down the stairway. Azizah waved merrily from her perch atop Bashaar's shoulder. Soon the entire caravan had greeted their tribesmen and were settling into sleeping areas or helping prepare food.

Alex had gone with Bashaar and Azizah to see where the horses were kept and Rick and Evy were taken down one of the rock corridors to an alcove sealed off with a bright tapestry for privacy. Their things lay in a neat pile on the floor and two large sleeping pallets lay along each wall. The young woman who had escorted them to the room left them only to return a short time later. She prattled something off in her native language and gestured for them to follow her.  
  
"Do you understand this?" Rick asked in an aside to his wife.  
  
Evy smiled and shook her head. "I've no idea what she's saying but I think she wants us to go with her."  
  
They followed the woman down the corridor which began to incline slightly downward. They could feel warm, moist heat ahead of them and hear water running. Before long they were at the entrance to another cavern, small and softly lit, and dotted with small pools of bubbling, steaming water.  
  
"Hot springs!" Evy declared with a joyous shout. "These are hot mineral springs, Rick!"  
  
"Now you know the real reason we guard this place so carefully," came a voice from the other side of the cavern. Evy and Rick strained their eyes in the direction the voice came from and eventually saw that it was Ardeth, neck deep in a steaming pool. He smiled at them and gestured to the other side from where they stood. Panels were erected closing the cavern into two sections. "Evy, you are welcome to use the women's side," he offered with a smile, "if you so choose, that is."  
  
"Not choose a hot bath after what we've been through?" she asked with humor. "You've got to be kidding. How do I get over there?" The young woman that had accompanied them waved her to an opening with a smile as if she knew what Evy had said. Evy waved goodbye to her husband and disappeared behind the paneling.  
  
"You are welcome to any pool you so choose," Ardeth offered to Rick. He then closed his eyes in contentment and leaned his head far back into the steaming water.  
  
Rick looked around the room and chose the pool two away from Ardeth's. He undressed quickly and sank his weary body into the hot spring with a grateful sigh. "Oh, this feels good," he groaned as the bubbling water worked at the knots in his back and legs. "How can you ever leave this place?"  
  
Ardeth, too, sighed deeply. "We leave because we must. However, coming home to this makes it all worth it."  
  
The young woman who'd escorted the O'Connell's to their room and the bathing chamber reappeared from behind the screen and came toward Ardeth, a small vial in her hands. Ardeth moved forward in the water so his arms were resting on the side of the pool. The woman poured something on her hands and began to massage Ardeth's back and shoulders.  
  
"Well, now, that's what I call room service," Rick remarked as he watched his friend's face relax in pleasure.  
  
"I am glad you approve."  
  
Rick eyed the woman carefully. She seemed to be very familiar with Ardeth's body. And judging by the look on his face she was hitting all the right spots on his torso with her strong fingers. He had an inkling of an idea. "Ardeth, is this your, uh, I mean do you have a, well, you know?" He couldn't bring himself to ask it and that surprised him. Rick O'Connell, man of the world, afraid to ask his best friend if he had a mistress.  
  
"It is not what you are thinking, my brother. Halima does not share my bed."  
  
"Oh, right." Rick wasn't sure if he was relieved or felt sorry for his friend.  
  
Ardeth laughed at his friend's tone, knowing what he was thinking. "I do not lack for companionship, O'Connell." With that he spoke to Halima and she ceased her ministrations. The woman then approached Rick with a smile. Rick smiled back hesitantly. "I don't know about this, buddy. I don't think Evy's gonna like it," he said to Ardeth.  
  
Ardeth simply shrugged, pushed himself out of the pool, and wrapped a large bath sheet around his waist. "As you wish. I must go. I will see you in the morning. Halima will take care of any needs you and Evy have."  
  
"Wait, you aren't going to eat with us?" Since the day Ardeth had awoken, the O'Connell's had shared the evening meal with him and Azizah. It had become a daily ritual for all of them.  
  
Ardeth shook his head. "I cannot. There is much I must do in preparation for tomorrow and I must rise early. Someone will come for you when the food is ready and you will eat and rest. Goodnight, my brother." And with that he left Rick alone with Halima and her bottle of oil.

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They had no idea what time the sun rose. In the caverns there was no dark, no light, except for that which was created by the torches and campfires. Still, Rick and Evy awoke on their own and found, to Evy's delight, new robes similar to those the Med-jai wore laid out for them in the main room. Even Alex had his own new set of clothes for their entrance into the Garden City.  
  
They donned their new outfits, Evy's of light blue, Rick's of black, and Alex's of darker blue, and reassembled in the main cavern as Bashaar had instructed them the night before. Everyone else was waiting for them and when the O'Connell's arrived, Bashaar led them out of the cavern through one of the tunnels.  
  
"Where's Ardeth?" Alex asked Bashaar.  
  
"He will join us when we reach the horses," Bashaar replied. "He and Azizah are preparing for the journey to the city."  
  
"Preparing?" Evy wondered aloud.  
  
"Yeah, Mom. Ardeth and Azizah will dress in their ceremonial robes for the journey into the city."  
  
Rick turned to his son. "How do you know that?"  
  
Alex rolled his eyes. "Ardeth told me. When we were riding up the mountain. Weren't you listening?"  
  
Together his parents answered him. "No."  
  
Alex rolled his eyes again. "Grownups," he muttered, as if that covered everything.  
  
A moment later they were in the spacious corral that housed the horses and they mounted up, ready to leave. The rode forward a short way until the sun peeked in through an opening ahead, flooding the room with sunlight. A sudden drop in the noise level and the dismounting of the rest of their party startled Rick and Evy and they looked around, not sure what they'd missed. A flash of gold and white caught Rick's eye and he looked up. Unable to speak, he pulled on Evy's sleeve until she too looked where his eyes were focused.  
  
Ardeth stood on the sun-drenched ledge that overlooked the cavern. He was dressed in white robes trimmed with gold and precious jewels. A sleeveless overgarment hung to his feet, the front open, exposing the white silk shirt he wore tucked into loose white trousers. White knee-high boots encased his legs and gold buckles glinted in the sunlight. The gold scimitar hung freely at his waist from a jewel studded belt. Something glinted on his forehead and Evy realized that he wore a gold circlet around his head, the center of which was carved to mirror the tatoos on his brow, creating a crown of sorts. His head was uncovered and his midnight black hair hung down his back. Beside him stood Azizah, also dressed in white flowing robes. Her hair had been done up in a multitude of gold trimmed braids and she, too, wore a circle of gold around her head.  
  
"Oh my God," Rick breathed.  
  
To a man, the group around them fell to one knee, their heads bowed in reverence. No one moved as Ardeth and Azizah descended the stairs. Only Bashaar stood as they approached the horses, lifting Azizah into the saddle in front of her father.  
  
"My people," Bashaar translated quietly to the O'Connell's as Ardeth began speaking, "let us go home." A cheer erupted from the throats of the Med-jai and the mounted their horses, eager to be off. Ardeth spurred his horse forward and led the way out of the mountain caverns to the valley below. At first, Evy couldn't see much, there was still a wall of rock around them. Then, suddenly, the rock gave way to sky and she got her first glimpse of the Garden City.  
  
"Crikey!" Alex exclaimed beside her, catching his first glimpse of the green valley. "That's bloody incredible!"  
  
"Alex, language," Evy scolded automatically, her voice lacking much conviction. Personally, she agreed with him. The valley floor spread out before them like an emerald carpet. Lush fields of grass and grazing lands spread across the entire area. Tall waterfalls sprayed mist into the sky and tall trees provided shade to the stone houses she could see amid the greenery. A little way up the side of one steep rock wall, a large house was set upon a wide ledge. Gardens overhanging white balconies were apparent as were walled pools of blue water.  
  
"The palace," Bashaar said quietly from beside her.  
  
Evy nodded without looking at him. She was in awe of the sights around her. One of Ardeth's commanders came up to Bashaar and whispered something to him. "Ziyad says that Ardeth Bey requires your presence at the front of the caravan," he said with a smile and a hand gesture indicating they should follow him. They rode along for a moment until they caught sight of Ardeth's white clad form not too far away. He smiled in greeting as they pulled alongside.  
  
"Ah, my friends! We are about to enter the city. I want you by my side so that all my see you when I announce your place in the tribe."  
  
"Our place in the tribe?" Alex asked with no little excitement.  
  
"You have saved my life, you have defeated the Creature. You are of the Med- jai now and forever. Even should you choose not to wear our signs, you will still be one of us always. Now, I must ask you to ride directly behind me for a short time. I will go first."  
  
Around the next corner, the gates of the Garden City stood open. Rick had never seen so many people gathered in one place in his life. Hundreds of men, women, and children lined the streets ahead as far as they could see. The cheer that greeted them when the throng saw Ardeth coming was deafening. It was a moment before Ardeth could wave them into silence.  
  
"My people," Bashaar translated, "I bring you great news. The Creature has been defeated again. And again we owe a debt of honor to the one called O'Connell, to the one called Evelyn, to the one called Alex." As he said each of their names, he waved them to his side. "It has been revealed that O'Connell himself is the brother of my soul. His blood and mine are now the same. Let it be known from this moment on and for all time that my brother and his family are Med-jai!"


	8. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 8

Chapter Eight - The Boy Who Would Be King  
  
"Alex will be what?!" Rick's loud voice startled the birds outside the window and they launched themselves skyward with great squawks of displeasure.  
  
"Rick, please! Ardeth, explain it again. I'm not sure we're getting this all straight." Evy arched her eyebrows at her husband, her own private sign that he should just shut up and listen.  
  
Ardeth sighed heavily under his breath. This wasn't going to be easy. Not that he thought anything about Rick O'Connell was ever easy. Still, this was proving to be more difficult than he'd wanted.  
  
"As the son of my brother he will be my heir unless I have another son to take his place," he repeated for the third time in fifteen minutes.  
  
"Well then I suggest you get cracking, Ardeth old buddy, cause my little boy isn't going to be the next Med-jai leader." Rick had his arms crossed over his chest, his stance indicating that he was absolutely having none of this.  
  
"I did not say he would be. Only that it is possible. He is his father's son. You and Evy have both made your mark upon him. He is honorable and brave. He is open to our ways. I am only asking that you let me train him when you are in Egypt. Let him stay with me when you are out on digs. Let him learn the way of the Med-jai. Just in case."  
  
"In case of what?" Rick demanded irritably.  
  
"Rick! You know very well what he means." Evy turned her back on her husband and faced Ardeth Bey. "Now, Ardeth, are you sure your tribe is going to accept this? I mean, Alex is an outsider. He's not even Egyptian."  
  
"He is Egyptian as you are Egyptian, Evy. Your blood runs in his veins. And as for the people they will accept him as my heir because they see O'Connell is my brother. It is not so hard for them to image as you might think."  
  
"No." Rick was standing his ground. "My son is not going to run off and spend his life in the desert protecting places like Hamunaptra from the likes of . . . of - well - me. I would rather see him safely at home in England being a lawyer or a doctor or something. Something that has nothing to do with books of the dead and mummies and keeping evil buried for the sake of mankind. Huh-unh. No way."  
  
"Oh, honestly, Rick! Do you really think you're going to keep our son, our son mind you, stuck in some office somewhere? I think it's rather a bit late for that, don't you? I mean, let's be realistic. With you and I as his parents how long do you think we'll be able to keep him home for heaven's sake much less out of trouble?" Evy faced Rick, her hands firmly placed on her hips. She knew that their adventuring streak ran deep in their son. And she knew, with a mother's certainty, that forcing their son into some safe job somewhere back home would drive him away forever. She told him as much. "So you see, if we try and make Alex into something he doesn't want we could very well drive him here anyway, only he'd be ill prepared for the life."  
  
"Oh, is that how you see it? Well, Evelyn, I think you're wrong. I think Alex would love a nice job in a nice office or something." Rick was determined to get his point across. His face lit up as a thought came to him. "I know! He loves books. You could get him interested in being a librarian."  
  
Evy only smiled crookedly. "Oh, yes, what a perfect idea! After all it's kept me safe all these years." Her sarcasm lay heavy in the air. Rick's finger came up, pointing at her. His mouth moved as if he were searching for just the right words to set her straight.  
  
"Excuse me, my friends, but have you considered asking Alex what it is he wants?" A hint of a smile played at the corners of Ardeth's mouth. Neither of them faced him to answer, so intent they were on their argument, but he knew their words were meant for him as much as each other.  
  
"Alex is a little boy. He's just a kid."  
  
"He's not a kid. He had the maturity and foresight to leave us a trail to follow when Imhotep had him. He's ingenious and bright. He's got the right to have a say in this."  
  
"Since when? You told me yourself he was still a child!"  
  
"Well that was then. This is now."  
  
"Then? That was yesterday!"  
  
Ardeth threw up his hands and walked away. He knew he'd get nowhere with them. He left the room, determined to approach this at a later time.  
  
"Hello, Ardeth," Alex called brightly. "Have you seen Mum and Dad?"  
  
Ardeth smiled at him. "They are in there," he indicated the room he'd just left, "but they are having a bit of a . . . disagreement."  
  
Alex rolled his eyes. "It's about me, isn't it?" He sighed dramatically. "I wish they'd stop treating me like a child."  
  
The Med-jai lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You are still a child in many ways. But in many ways you have shown yourself to be more of a man than many I have met. "  
  
"Well, I wish they'd see that. What's the fight about this time." Alex settled his gaze on Ardeth's face. Ardeth didn't speak for a moment but studied the boy before him, trying to decide how much to tell him. Finally, "Your parents are discussing an aspect of your future that they did not foresee," he said diplomatically.  
  
"They don't want to me be your heir, do they?"  
  
Ardeth's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know this?" he asked with a laugh, knowing that anyone was hard pressed to keep secrets from this very perceptive young man.  
  
"I listen. I hear things. Mum thinks I don't know anything but I know enough to pay attention. I've figured out that if I listen very hard I can make out what you're saying sometimes. Bashaar's been teaching me. Besides, your people speak in Arabic, too, and I've been speaking that since I was a baby."  
  
The king threw back his head and laughed. "You are amazing, Alex O'Connell, do you know that?" he asked, his eyes bright with appreciation for the boy in front of him. "Now, what do you think? Do you think you could be the heir of the Med-jai king?"  
  
Alex considered this a moment. Ardeth was proud of him for not answering right away. It was yet another mark in Alex's favor. Finally he lifted his face and his light eyes met Ardeth's dark ones. A much older soul looked out through those innocent orbs. "Yes," he said softly. "I can do it. But I won't defy my father."  
  
Ardeth felt his heart swell with pride. "You are everything a man could ask in a son. I would like to think that. . ." He shook his head sadly. "It is of no matter." He turned away and looked out one of the hall's windows before the sense of loss that still had the power to overwhelm him took hold. He would not think of his son. If he concentrated, the pain would go away and he wouldn't have to face it again until the next time when he would crush it again. All he needed to do was focus his mind elsewhere. All he needed was a moment to gather his strength.

What he did not need was the small, warm hand that crept into his. What he did not need to do was look into the understanding eyes of a child who was equal to Haytham in age, eyes that mirrored the pain he felt, eyes that had known, if only for a short time, what that kind of loss was like. What he did not need was the quietly understanding "I'm sorry" that crashed through the barriers he'd erected as effectively as an elephant gun shooting through paper. With a strangled cry, Ardeth Bey sank slowly to his knees, his face buried in his hands. Alex O'Connell put his arms around the broken king and held him.  
  
Neither of them noticed that Bashaar looked on. Nor did they notice as he discreetly stationed guards at either end of the hall, ensuring their privacy. They did not see Rick and Evy quickly end their fight as the sound of the anguished weeping reached them, did not see them come running to see what was wrong.  
  
As they reached the door, Bashaar stopped them with a look. "Do not, my friends, I beg you."  
  
"What the hell's going on?" Rick demanded.  
  
"Who's crying? What's the matter?" Evy was almost in tears herself, the heart wrenching sobs reached deep into her soul.  
  
Bashaar indicated they should be silent and motioned them forward. Evy's tears finally did fall at the sight before her. Rick only stared. "What's happened?" he asked in a whisper, not believing he was seeing the mighty Ardeth Bey weeping in the arms of a child as if he were a child himself.  
  
"Ardeth Bey is finally grieving for his son." Bashaar's face looked strangely hopeful. "Do you mean,"Evy choked out, "that he's never . . ."  
  
The Med-jai warrior shook his head. "Not once, in the time since it happened, has he given into his grief." He faced the two people he now considered his friends. "You should be proud of your son. He has done something that all the people in our tribe have tried to do. He has forced our king to face his loss."  
  
Rick watched his son calmly stroke Ardeth's hair, something he'd seen Evy do for Alex so many times before. The strength and empathy radiating from his son was humbling and he honestly didn't know if he could have done for his friend what his son was so casually undertaking. A shaft of sunlight broke through the window. His son and his best friend were bathed in a golden glow and in that moment Rick knew that destiny was a larger entity than he could ever fight. He smiled at Bashaar.  
  
"Alex should be the one to do this. He is Ardeth's heir." Rick O'Connell took his stunned wife by the hand and led her from the hall, leaving their son alone with his king.  
  
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The huge circular room was bright, lit by dozens of torches. There were as many people assembled in the large chamber as could possibly fit, their black robes creating an artificial darkness that breached the light. At the very center of the room the elders sat in a circle. And within that circle they, too, sat - and waited. Nervous, excited. Finally, when silence had descended, stilling even the rustling of cloth, Rick stood and the oldest among them spoke.  
  
"Who offers this man for honor?" he asked in a strong, but slightly wavering voice.  
  
Ardeth stepped forward. "I do." His reply carried to the entire gathering.  
  
"What is this man to you?" The second of the ancient questions was asked.  
  
"He is my brother," Ardeth answered with conviction, his hand pressing down on Rick's shoulder.  
  
"What has he done to deserve honor?" The last question was asked.  
  
"He defeated the Creature. He defeated the Scorpion King. He offered forth his own blood to save the life of Ardeth Bey."  
  
The elder nodded. "He is Med-jai," he proclaimed.  
  
Rick knelt on a small carpet in the very center of the circle. From the back of the room came a woman dressed in black robes, not unlike those of the men. Hessa, her name was. In her hands she carried a tray upon which rested the ancient tools of marking. She knelt before Rick and took his left hand in hers. Rick could see that her fingers were stained blue from years of carrying out the ritualistic tattooing of her tribe.  
  
Hessa offered him a cup filled with a sweet smelling liquid. It would help ease the discomfort, he'd been told. Rick hadn't wanted it, said he could take it like a man but Ardeth had convinced him that Evy and Alex would follow the example he set and did he really want his wife and son to feel the needle pricking at them? Rick drank the potion down. In a moment, he felt a pleasant tingling course through him and he nodded at the woman to proceed.  
  
The woman took a sharp, narrow stylus from her tray and with painstaking care drew the outline of the tatoo on his flesh. Rick watched as the blood oozed out of the thin cuts, marking the border of the tatoo in red. When she finished with the outline, she took a long, sharp needle from the tray and with great ceremony uncovered a pot of bright blue powder. She dipped the needle into the power.  
  
Rick clenched his teeth. The pain was dulled but it still hurt like hell. The needle pokes were deep. Deep enough to embed the dye forever in his skin. The dye burned. If Rick hadn't been so caught up in ignoring the pain he would have realized that the blue powder acted as a styptic, stopping any bleeding before it could begin. As the Hessa worked, the other people in the room chanted softly. Offering up prayers for his protection and guidance, Ardeth had told him.  
  
Rick stayed perfectly still. He had no choice, really. Hessa held his wrist in a grip of iron. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else besides the faint burning in his hand. Ardeth squeezed his shoulder lightly. Rick looked up at him and saw him smile slightly, a look of empathy on his face. Rick grinned, knowing that Ardeth knew exactly how this felt.  
  
Before Rick would have thought it possible, the woman finished and pressed a cold, wet cloth against his hand. The cloth smelled of the healing salve that Safiya had used on Ardeth's wounds and it eased the discomfort immediately. He smiled in gratitude. Hessa smiled back and then she took his other hand.  
  
Before long Hessa was done and it was Evy's turn to stand before the elders. She had watched the proceedings very closely, searching Rick's face for any sign of the pain she could expect. She wasn't nervous for herself, she'd given birth after all, but for Alex. He was still her child and she didn't want to see him hurting. Her thoughts were brought back to the ordeal ahead when the questions began again.  
  
"Who offers this woman for honor?"  
  
Rick stood up. "I do," he said in the language of the Med-jai. It had taken him a couple of days to get the pronunciation down.  
  
"What is this woman to you?"  
  
"She is my wife," Rick said, the love he felt for her apparent in his voice, "and sister by marriage to Ardeth Bey."  
  
"What has she done to deserve honor?"  
  
"She defended our home against those who would take the Bracelet of Anubis. She fought Anck-su-namun. She risked her life to save mine." Rick's pride showed clear for all to see.  
  
Once more the elder nodded. "She is Med-jai," he proclaimed. Again the potion was offered and Evy drank. Again the ritual proceeded with prayers. Evy breathed slowly in and out, calming herself. The only indication that she felt the irritating burning prick of the needle was the occasional narrowing of her eyes or the delicate clenching of her jaw. She smiled bravely at her son as the first of her two wrists was covered in the soothing cloth. Alex didn't seem to be nervous at all to her. He simply waited patiently for his turn, something that was in itself incredible for his parents to see. Her eyes raised to Rick's and they exchanged wordless comments on their son's behavior.  
  
Finally, the time came for Alex to be marked.  
  
"Who offers this child for honor?"  
  
Ardeth stepped forward to stand beside Alex. "I do."  
  
"What is this child to you?"  
  
"He is the son of my brother. He is my heir." There was a stirring of whispers at this announcement but it was stilled by one glance from the elders.  
  
"What has he done to deserve honor before his time?" The question was slightly different given Alex's age.  
  
"While in the clutches of the Creature, he had the foresight to leave a trail so that we might follow him to the oasis of Ahm Shere. He showed great bravery and presence of mind in the face of terror. He used the Book of the Dead to return his mother to life."  
  
The old man studied Alex a moment as he stood at Ardeth's side. He must have seen what he was looking for. "He is Med-jai," the elder announced.  
  
Hessa offered up the potion to Alex as he sat before her. "No," he said in the Med-jai tongue. "I do not want it."  
  
Even the sound of breathing was stilled at this declaration. Rick and Evy both made a move forward but Ardeth waved them off and knelt by Alex's side. "You do not have to do this, Alex. There is no shame in accepting the potion. It will make it more bearable."  
  
Alex looked up at Ardeth and shook his head. "I don't want it. I want to do this without it."  
  
Ardeth studied the boy's determined features for a long while. He looked at Rick and Evy and something unspoken passed between them. Ardeth stood and nodded to Hessa. "Continue," he commanded gently.  
  
Hessa took Alex's wrist in her hand and began. Alex wasn't sure what to expect but he was certain it would be much worse. The lines she was carving in his hand didn't really hurt that much. He knew that the needle and dye would probably hurt more but he didn't want anything that might make this experience less than complete. Something inside him wanted to prove to the Med-jai that he was deserving of the honor Ardeth had bestowed upon him.

Young as he was, Alex knew instinctively that if he could get through this he would earn the respect of the people he might one day have to lead. He understood that if Ardeth were to have another son, he would no longer be the sole heir. But Alex also knew that his fate was inexorably tied to these people. He was not a boy given to fancy anymore. He'd learned the hard way in the past few weeks that his worst nightmares were nothing compared to the reality he'd faced. Still, he'd come through it with a new sense of self and strength of spirit. And beyond all that, Alex O'Connell, the boy who so far hadn't much use for girls, had come face to face with the girl he was destined to be with. He knew it as certain as he knew his own name.  
  
Alex pondered all of this while Hessa worked, his mind working so furiously that he never felt the first prick of the dye coated needle. It was only after Hessa was half done with his other hand that he became aware of the burning pain. He swallowed hard and forced his teeth together. "I've come this far," he told himself, "it's not much longer now." A short time later Hessa finished and a great cheer erupted from the gathered Med-jai. He'd done it! Even the elders were smiling at him. Ardeth clapped him on the back and Alex could see that his mother and father were bursting with pride. Even Hessa smiled at him in approval.  
  
The elder said something and the outer ring of people left the chamber and those who remained sat down on the floor. Rick and Evy looked at Ardeth, standing in the same place he'd been all evening, but Ardeth was looking toward the far end of the room where another Med-jai was coming forward with a tray. They could see immediately that this was a man and his hands were also blue. He came and knelt beside Hessa. On his tray was similar assortment of instruments used by Hessa but he had three pots of dye instead of just one.  
  
The elder motioned for silence.  
  
"Who offers this man for honor?" The question surprised the O'Connell's. No one was standing for acknowledgment. They were even more surprised when a small, black clad figure stood amongst the gathered Med-jai and came forward.  
  
"I do," Azizah said solemnly.  
  
"What is this man to you?"  
  
"He is my father."  
  
Evy was stunned! She hadn't realized that the elder was talking about Ardeth.  
  
"What has he done to deserve honor?"  
  
"He led his warriors against the jackal army. He traveled many hundreds of miles from our home to a strange and distant land to retrieve the Bracelet of Anubis. He exacted justice from the man who killed my mother and brother."  
  
A general gasp arose from the assembly and many of those gathered raised their hands to the heavens in thanksgiving. The elder waited until there was quiet again. He looked at Ardeth Bey. "You have faced many dangers, my king. You honor your people. You are Med-jai."  
  
Azizah reached up and held out her arms to her father. He removed his robe and laid it over her outstretched arms. Then he removed his shirt. All could see the faint pink lines that crossed his chest. The marks of the mummy had just barely healed. Ardeth smiled at his daughter then knelt down between Hessa and her companion, prostrating himself face down on the stone floor.  
  
Rick and Evy watched with a mix of fascination and horror as line after intricate line of symbols were carved into Ardeth's back, each of the tatoo artisans taking a section. Through the entire painstaking process, Ardeth didn't move, didn't make a sound. The only sign that he was even aware of the pain was a faint tightening around his eyes. Finally, Hessa sat back and gathered her tools. She set them to one side and picked up several small squares of cloth from the other tray. The man sitting across from her picked up what looked like a thin strip of charcoal and traced several symbols down Ardeth's spine. Evy shuddered and looked away as he picked up the most delicate instrument of the evening and opened the second pot on his tray. Black inky liquid dripped from the tip of the tiny needle and he shook off the excess before applying the needle to the outlines on Ardeth's back. Only then was there any reaction from Ardeth. He hissed in pain and clamped his jaw tight.

Rick and Evy knew that the thin covering of skin over the bones of his spine was no protection from the terrible pain of the dye. They noticed that when the first symbol was done, Hessa put a cloth over it. The white square was instantly wet with blood. The black dye didn't have the styptic properties of the blue. The process was slowly repeated over and over until a line of ten bloody squares marched down Ardeth's back. The effort was showing on his body which was now drenched in sweat. His eyes were closed tight and his hands fisted against the floor.

Finally, the last symbol was done and a blanket was laid beside their friend. Hessa and her companion gently rolled Ardeth over onto it. Hessa took a scented cloth and bathed Ardeth's sweaty face with cool water. He smiled weakly at her and concentrated on breathing. No matter how many times he went through this, he could never completely control the pain. And he knew that the worst was yet to come. The mark that had been forged when his family was murdered would now be sealed in red, indicating his vengeance was satisfied. The red dye used to fill in the marks burned like fire and the only thing that eased his mind was the fact that he had finally killed Loch-nah and avenged himself. This thought alone made the coming pain bearable. He thought on this for several moments and when at last he felt himself calming, he nodded.  
  
The man lifted the lid on the last pot. Dark crimson dye showed bright in the torchlight. Hessa handed the man a heavy gauge needle which he dipped into the dye. He leaned over Ardeth's chest, blocking everyone's view. Once again Ardeth's hands fisted, a clear sign to all of the pain he was feeling. His teeth clenched together and he could not mask the occasional cry of pain. Evy couldn't watch and buried her head in Rick's shoulder. Rick understood what the marking of this tattoo meant. Ardeth had explained it days ago. He just hadn't realized what an ordeal it would be when it happened. He held his wife close and watched Ardeth suffer, unable to do a thing.  
  
A long time later the man pulled away and the tattoo on Ardeth's right shoulder, the one that told of his family's massacre, was completely colored red. Ardeth was conscious, but his breathing was heavy and labored as he fought for control. Bashaar came forward and laid a hand on Rick's shoulder. Rick jumped, not realized the warrior stood behind him. "Will you help me with Ardeth, O'Connell?" Bashaar asked quietly. Rick looked at his brother lying still on the blanket. He realized that there was no way Ardeth was going anywhere under his own power after all of that. He nodded to Bashaar and kissed Evy quickly, smiling at her.  
  
Together, he and Bashaar managed to get Ardeth upright. They kept the blanket wrapped around his back so they wouldn't irritate the abraded skin any further. Ardeth swallowed a moan as they lifted him to his feet. He draped his arms gratefully over their shoulders and staggered between them as they left the room. The silent Med-jai stood aside for them, their faces radiating the love and pride they felt for their leader.  
  
Bashaar and Rick managed to get Ardeth back to his chambers. Evy rushed ahead of them and had the doors open and Ardeth's bed ready. They set him down gently on his stomach. As soon as he felt the comfort of his own bed beneath his sore body, Ardeth gave up any attempts to stay conscious and with a groan that was half pain, half relief, let the blackness take over.


	9. Brother of My Soul - Chapter 9

Chapter Nine - Farewells  
  
Ardeth's chambers were bright with lamplight. The Med-jai chieftain lay still on his bed. He'd awoken a short time after being helped to his bed and Hessa had forced him to drink a strong sleeping draught. Hessa sat on the bed beside Ardeth and worked carefully, cleansing the new marks so that they might be carefully bandaged in the morning. Evelyn O'Connell, still wide awake with the events of the night on her mind, sat with her, keeping her company. She studied the tattoos on Ardeth's back while Hessa cleaned away the blood. "I've been waiting for the chance to get a look at these," she confessed with a conspiratorial smile. "It just never seemed the right time to ask."  
  
Hessa chuckled. Evy had discovered that she spoke English quite well and they'd been talking while Hessa worked. "It is rarely the right time to ask a man to remove his shirt for you. Especially when your husband is nearby." The two women laughed.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid Rick isn't the understanding type when it comes to that," Evy agreed. "Now, can you tell me what these marks are? Or is it secret?"  
  
Hessa shook her head. "No, it is no secret to us. And you are Med-jai now. Point to the ones you wish to know about. I must finish this." Evy watched as Hessa's skilled hands soaked and peeled away each bloody square of cloth, cleaned the raw flesh, and carefully covered each new tattoo with ointment. She drew her eyes away and pointed to the identical marks at the top of Ardeth's shoulder blades. "These. They are the same on both shoulders. What do these mean?"  
  
"They are blessings for strength."  
  
"And these little marks under each one. These are each different."  
  
"Each of those tells of Ardeth Bey's success in a trial of skill. The ones on the right tell of his mastery of horsemanship and hand combat. Those on the left signify his prowess with knives and other weaponry."  
  
"I see that now! Yes, of course. These are not all that different from the hieroglyphics I've studied."  
  
Hessa smiled. "Our markings have changed little since the days of the first Med-jai."  
  
Evy grinned, excited that she was finally getting the information she'd wanted since she'd first seen the elaborate tattoos weeks ago. "What are these new ones? I mean, I understand the red on the one on his chest is to signify his vengeance has been satisfied, but what are these others? The ones you just did?"  
  
Hessa had finished her work and ran her fingers lightly across the blue marks she and Maysarah, her husband, had made only a short time before. "These tell of the battle with the undead in your country and Ardeth's injuries. Here it tells of your flight over the desert and the search for your son. These," her hand moved again, "tell of the battle with the Army of Anubis. And here it speaks of O'Connell saving his life and their brotherhood."  
  
"What are the black marks?"  
  
Hessa pulled her hands away and bowed her head. "They tell of the Med-jai who lost their lives in the battle with Anubis' warriors."  
  
Evy leaned closer to get a better look. "But these marks look familiar," she studied them a moment. "Oh, yes! They resemble the hieroglyph for one hundred. What do they actually stand for?"  
  
Hessa looked at the woman she had come to consider her friend and smiled sadly. "They stand for one hundred." She watched as Evy's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed a few times. "You can't mean . . ." she sputtered. Hessa nodded. "Each mark represents the lives of one hundred of our warriors killed by the Army of Anubis."  
  
Evy stared at the line of ten black marks marching down Ardeth's back and shuddered. She'd not realized the Med-jai had paid so high a price. "I didn't know," she whispered.  
  
Hessa patted her hand, careful to avoid the new tattoos. "It is done," she said simply. "Now you must go and sleep. I will sit with Ardeth until morning."  
  
Evy nodded and stood to go. At the door she turned back. "Did you know any of the warriors killed?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Yes. I knew many of them. Two of them were my brothers. Many others were from our tribe. Ardeth knew all of them from our clan, and many of the others who perished. It weighs heavily on him. I am thankful to you and your family, Evahlyn O'Connell."  
  
Evy frowned. "Why?" she wondered. "We didn't do anything. In fact, you could say we're the ones who got you into this mess to begin with."  
  
Her new friend just smiled. "You are friends to Ardeth Bey. That is enough for us to thank you for."  
  
Not sure how to respond to this, Evy just nodded and said goodnight. She closed the door and retreated to her own room where Rick was already deep in slumber. She laid awake for a long time, thinking of all she had learned. Sometime in the night, she came to terms with what it truly meant to be Med-jai and she prayed she was strong enough to live up to the honorable name she'd given claim to with the marks on her wrists. When she did sleep, she dreamed of Med-jai warriors, their blood staining the white desert sand, their souls rising up in victory as evil was defeated once more.

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Something wet and soothing lay against Ardeth's back and the cool comfort slowly woke him from a deep, dreamless sleep. He breathed slowly, assessing the extent of the pain and found, to his relief, only a lingering burning sensation.  
  
"Good morning!" a female voice said brightly. "Sleep well?"  
  
Ardeth smiled against the bedding. Although he could not see her, he would recognize Evy's bright tone anywhere. "Yes. Thank you. Yourself?"  
  
"Oh, yes. I thought for certain I'd be awake all night with the pain in my hands but it didn't keep me up at all."  
  
"I am glad you suffered no ill effects. Your hands, they are feeling alright?"  
  
"Just a little sore. Rick's too. Alex's are a bit more tender. Whether it's because of his age or the fact that he was determined to prove himself to the tribe and not take Hessa's potion, I'm not sure." Even the stern reprimand could not mask the pride in her voice.  
  
"It is because he did not take the potion. It has healing properties as well as something to dull the pain of the marking."  
  
"Why didn't you take the potion?" Ardeth could actually hear Evy frowning at him.  
  
"No amount of potion would have eased the pain of the marking last night."  
  
Evy fell silent, having learned last night what the new markings meant. She laid a hand on Ardeth's shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "I know," she said quietly. "Hessa told me. Ardeth, I'm so very, very sorry. We had no idea."  
  
"It is the price we pay. It is the curse we live with."  
  
"Do you ever resent your ancestor for leaving you this legacy?" She'd been wanting to ask that for a long time.  
  
Ardeth was silent for a moment. "Sometimes," he finally said. "But then, too, I can imagine no other life. For thousands of years the Med-jai have lived as we live now. I believe my ancestors knew that there was evil in the world that needed to be watched. Perhaps the homdai was the only way they could ensure it would always have guardians."  
  
Evy removed the cool towel from his back and fidgeted with it a moment, not sure what to say next. She decided that changing the subject was the best way to go. "Do you need help getting up? Hessa said you'd need the new marks bandaged before you dressed."  
  
"No, thank you Evy. I can manage. Would you find Hessa for me and tell her I am ready?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Ardeth heard Evy leave his chambers and then rolled slowly onto his side. The new marks pulled at the edges and he gingerly swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was still wearing his loose pants from the night before but someone had been kind enough to remove his boots. He stood and stretched as far as he dared, easing the kinks from a night of sleeping on his stomach. He padded across the tile floor, cool beneath his bare feet, and over to the curtains that closed off his balcony. He pulled them open, filling the room with sunlight. A deep breath of brisk air was all that he needed to restore him to full wakefulness.

How he loved this valley! The light breezes, the fragrances of trees and flowers that filled the air all year round. It was an Eden unto itself and he was eternally grateful to his forefathers for finding this place. He looked down upon the streets that ran through the city just below the palace. People went about their work with a vitality that spoke of well being and contentment. A few people, working on their roof gardens, saw him and waved merrily. He waved back and called greetings to the ones close enough to hear him.  
  
A whisper of sound behind him alerted him to the fact that Hessa had arrived. He took a last look at the city, knowing that his duties for the day would keep him in the palace. "I would stay here all day if I could," he said aloud.  
  
Hessa's quiet chuckle reached him. "And what of your duties, cousin? Will you ignore them as you did in your youth and go swimming with Bashaar instead?"  
  
He turned to her and made a face. "Do not tempt me, woman! Or I may do just that."  
  
His cousin nodded. "You want to, but you will not. You value your duty too highly. Now come here and let me bandage your marks. You must dress and greet the day. The council expects you in an hour."  
  
Ardeth heaved a heavy sigh and threw his arms out with a flourish, giving Hessa room to work the long linen strips around his torso. "I am very tired of wearing these," he complained. "First Safiya and now you. I do not think I will ever feel clothes against my skin again."  
  
She punched his arm lightly. "You will soon enough. I know how you value your silk robes when you are home. Two days for these IF you stay out of trouble and keep still. If you move around too much and irritate them, four days. And do not pick up the children. Understand?" She addressed him as she would a child. He gave her an exaggerated petulant look, one identical to Azizah's when she was forced to do something she didn't want to. It made her laugh. "I understand," he pouted as she walked away. "But I do not like it!" he added under his breath as she closed the door.  
  
"You do not have to." Her response came clearly through the door and it was his turn to laugh. Hessa always made him laugh. She was his favorite cousin and he loved teasing her. She and her husband, Maysarah, made certain he was a frequent guest in their home and always made him feel welcome. He valued that more than anything.  
  
Suppressing another sigh and realizing that the day would proceed whether he was ready for it to or not, Ardeth found his boots and pulled them on.  
He found a light green robe and belted it loosely around his waist, not bothering with a shirt as the strain of lifting his arms might break open the delicate scabs on his back and shoulder. A knock on his door told him that his food was ready. He ran his fingers quickly through his long,  
disheveled hair, restoring it to some manner of order, and opened the door, ready to face his day.

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"Now, Alex, you hold the scimitar thusly." Ardeth curled his hand around Alex's, instructing him in the proper way to grip the heavy sword. For three weeks they had trained with wooden copies, working on Alex's technique. He'd learned first with his left hand. That had been difficult as he was right-handed for the most part but Ardeth assured him it was imperative that a Med-jai be able to fight equally well with both hands. Alex had trained hard, working with his father and Bashaar when Ardeth was called away to attend other matters. He was now fairly proficient and could fight using a scimitar in one hand and a dagger in the other.  
  
Ardeth was proud of his progress. Alex was a quick study and agile for his age. He'd taken to the training well and today would be his first sparring match against someone of similar age and skill with dulled weapons instead of wooden ones. He smiled when he thought of what Alex's reaction would be to his sparring partner.  
  
Alex hefted the dulled sword. "It's not that much heavier than the wood ones," he remarked as he tested the weight and balance.  
  
"It is not. However, the steel gives a different feel when struck. You will notice it in your arms on the first strike." He picked up his own practice weapon and lifted it. "Strike at me, use all your strength."  
  
The boy grinned. He loved sparring with Ardeth. He always learned something new. Alex lifted the steel blade and swung with all his might at the blade Ardeth held. He felt the impact in his shoulders and grunted. Ardeth smiled, not unkindly. "I told you it was different. Again."  
  
For several minutes Ardeth had Alex deliver blow after blow, adjusting his arms and upper body to the feel of the steel blades as they met. Finally, he called a halt. "I think you are ready now," he said with a nod.  
  
"Ready for what?" Alex wondered. He'd only been told he would be sparring today.  
  
"To spar with someone your own size. While it is valuable for you to know how to fight someone larger, your true skill will only be realized against someone equal to you in ability." Ardeth cocked two fingers, gesturing to someone Alex couldn't see. When Ardeth stepped aside, Alex found himself facing a miniature Med-jai in full black robes and facial covering, wielding another practice blade and looking very intent.  
  
Alex swallowed and studied the boy before him. He was somewhat smaller but handled the sword with a sure knowledge of what to do with it. "Who's this?" he asked, his voice squeaking.  
  
"You will not always know your adversary," Ardeth replied and stepped aside. At his unspoken signal, the small Med-jai approached. Alex dropped into a crouch, matching his opponent's style and watched, as Ardeth had instructed, the form of the other boy. Like two lions they circled each other, each intent on waiting for the first move. Finally the pressure of waiting got to Alex and he moved forward. The other boy parried his thrust and soon they were each lunging and swirling, their blades connecting with a ring at each blow. The two were well matched in skill and Alex, trying to remember all that Ardeth had told him, used his added inches to his advantage whenever possible. The other boy seemed to know when he might do this, however, and Alex was thwarted more often that not.  
  
Alex knew that the fight would continue until one of them was disarmed. Hit after hit was exchanged until sweat poured off both of them. Alex knew he was tiring and decided to try one last desperate move. He stepped back and faked a stumble, falling onto his back. The other boy moved in quickly. Alex's feet struck out, catching his opponent in the stomach and sending the other boy flying. He landed on his back with a grunt. With a flick of his wrist, Alex's blade caught the other boy's sword and sent it skittering aside.  
  
A cheer went up from the crowd Alex hadn't realized was watching. He saw his father lean over and say something to Ardeth which made the Med-jai laugh. Alex took a deep breath and reached out his hand to help the other boy up. The boy grasped his hand, and in a move that surprised Alex as well everyone watching, the boy kicked out and caught Alex behind the knees. Alex felt himself fall and before he could catch himself he was pinned face down on the ground, a knee in his back, with a blunt dagger laid tight against his throat. From where he lay he saw Ardeth lean over and say something to his father and it was his father's turn to laugh.  
  
After a moment, the other boy let Alex up and they faced each other. Alex, determined to be a man about the whole thing, put out his hand.  
  
"Nicely done," he said in English. Then he realized his mistake and repeated it in Arabic.  
  
The boy across from him giggled, which Alex thought was odd, and took his hand. His other hand raised and pulled the face cloth down. Alex found himself staring at the smiling face of Azizah Bey.

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"This is where I must leave you." Ardeth stood at Rick's stirrup and looked up into the face of the man he now called 'brother'.  
  
Rick nodded and studied the desert around Hamunaptra. "Yeah. It's not like we haven't been this road before." He smiled, trying to dispel the feeling of loss he was experiencing at leaving his friend.  
  
Ardeth's lips twitched in a suppressed smile. "I am confident you can find your way." The subtle amusement Rick had come to recognize over the last few weeks colored the Med-jai's tone. "I will hear from you when you reach England?" he asked, needing to be reassured that the O'Connell's would stay in contact.  
  
Evy had dismounted and put an arm around his waist. "You know you will," she said giving him a squeeze. "And in six months we'll be back. And Alex will stay with you while we go on another dig."  
  
To Evy's delight, Ardeth embraced her tightly. "I will miss you," he admitted quietly. She hugged him back just as tightly. "We'll miss you too, Ardeth," she said, a hint of tears threatening. She pulled away before she cried and smiled brightly. "You'll be sure and write?"  
  
The Med-jai nodded. "I will." Evy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and mounted her camel.  
  
"Ardeth." He turned at his name. Rick, too, had come down off his camel and stood close. "You be careful," he commanded, all the things he could not say evident in that one phrase. Ardeth grabbed him in a rough embrace. "I will," he promised. He released his brother and they shared a last look, one that said everything they could not. Finally, they each nodded and Rick climbed aboard his mount.  
  
"Alex." Ardeth turned to the young man he had grown so fond of. He reached in his robes and pulled out an ornately carved dagger encrusted with precious jewels. He handed it, hilt first, to his heir. Alex's eyes widened and he gaped at the gift. "This was given to me by my father. It is yours." Ardeth told him. Alex reached out a tentative hand and grasped the knife, careful not to cut Ardeth as he pulled it from his palm. "Thanks," he said breathlessly. "I'll take really good care of it."  
  
Ardeth smiled at him then turned and walked back to his horse. "Now, my friends. My family. I wish you safe journey."  
  
The O'Connell's looked at the man they had come to know as he sat on his black horse in the shadows of the ancient city he'd vowed to protect. The rising sun illuminating the proud marks on his face. They knew, each of them, that his fate and their was now irrevocably tied together. As one, they raised their hands in farewell and turned to ride away. Ardeth Bey watched them go and raised his hand to his heart, his lips, his forehead, bidding them goodbye and godspeed in his own way. He watched them for a long time, not turning away until they could no longer be seen through the heat waves rising from the sand. Only then did Ardeth Bey turn his horse toward Hamunaptra and the life he was born to live.


End file.
